Pokemon: Pharaoh of Unova
by Autobot-Muse
Summary: Entombed alive for disobeying the rule of a tyrannical Pharaoh, a young man by the name of Gaiihl awakens thousands of years later, reborn into a Yamask. Befriending an aspiring young trainer, they both journey to find their places in Unova, only to find themselves standing against the plight of Team Plasma and a resurrected Pharaoh that has cursed history to repeat itself.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone, thanks for clicking! I've been sitting on this story for a long while now and recently found the time to actually post it. Originally it was posted on DeviantArt but I haven't had the pleasure of many comments or constructive criticism from my viewers there. If you would like to see more of my work and artwork to go with the story you can find it in my Pokemon folder at Autobotgirl on DA. I already have six chapters written out, so be ready for an update frenzy!**

Shafts of light pierced the darkness as the small group made its way into the sanctuary of the Relic Castle, untying handkerchiefs from their faces, used to keep the sand from entering their ears, mouths, and noses. A few of the members of the group coughed, breath cold from the chilly night in the desert.

"Alright, here we are," A voice said cheerfully, the owner illuminated by one of the flashlights. Lenora, Gym Leader and owner of the Nacrene museum. Her greenish hair bounced pleasantly as she passed the others with her to stand in front of them all.

"Okay everyone, first thing is first, I'd like to thank you all for coming out here tonight. As you all know, the Relic castle was discovered a little over three months ago. Now that excavation is starting it's crucial that we help with the process, which is why you volunteers are here." Lenora paused and looked around at the faces before her and smiled. "Your jobs are to follow your maps and place markers on the walls where lighting apparatuses are going to be installed, if you find anything important like a large artifact, just mark it on your map. Find something small, like a pottery shard; feel free to keep one as a souvenir. Well, you all know what you're doing, head out and keep in contact. Kenzie, sweetie, you're with me. OH! AND WATCH OUT FOR THE SAND PITS!" She called after the other groups.

As the gathering of people slowly split off into pairs and made their way into the dark ruins, a young woman trotted over to Lenora. Her hair was pixie-ish, a dark blonde with her bangs swept over to one side. The fringes of her hair had been dyed blue, a color that seemed to permeate the rest of her wardrobe in one way or another, including her gray-blue eyes that twinkled excitedly behind her thick black cats-eye glasses.

"And there's our resident psychic," Lenora coddled. "Glad your Ma let you come out here with us. I mean, she's a good friend of mine, but still. I'm happy that she trusts me enough to keep you safe even though you don't have a Pokémon."

"Come on Lenora, you're a Gym Leader," she said, examining a set of carvings on the wall. "Of course she trusts you."  
Lenora crossed her arms and gazed sadly at Kenzie, who was pretending to occupy herself with the carvings.

"You know sweetie, just 'cause you ain't got a Pokemon yet doesn't make you less important than any of these other people here, you dig?" She said sympathetically, "I'm sure Ms. Juniper will find you one soon enough."

Kenzie grumbled and sighed, "She's already found a lot of Pokemon! She just keeps giving them to other trainers even though I've been waiting since last year." She looked to Lenora sadly. "What if she's just doing that because she's too nice to say that I won't make a good trainer?"

"Honey, now we both know that she don't think that." Lenora said, a hint of a smile crossing her face as she coaxed the girl along with her and into the sand filled ruins. "You got a gift girl, you can talk to Pokemon. How would you not be a good Trainer when you can just ask them what you need to do and what you can do better?"

"I guess you're right." She said, hugging close to the wall to avoid a sand pit that no doubt led to the floor below, albeit in an uncomfortable manner.  
"I know I'm right honey." Lenora laughed. "Anyway, what're you seein' here?" She motioned to the space in front of them. "Do your psychic thing~"

"Oh, there's nothing really here." She said. "But I do get the feeling that there are a lot of ghost Pokemon in this place." Kenzie reached out to the air, almost as if feeling the texture. "They're everywhere, but they're hiding. They've been stuck here a long, long time."

"See?" Lenora said, catching a glimpse of something shiny in the sand in front of them, she bent down to pick it up. "That's what I like about you. Most psychics are all riddles and theatrics; you get right down to the information. No showy stuff like levitatin' Pokeballs or going on tangents." Lenora stood and brushed off the object. "Well, look at that. Perfectly good TM left down in here. Probably got dropped by one of the workers." She handed it to her, "Here, you might need this soon enough."

Kenzie took the disk gratefully and tucked it into the pouch on her satchel before she upped her pace to keep up with the gym leader. She let her fingertips run against the rough sandstone walls of the tunnels, the trickles of sand that fell from the ceiling echoed a crackling sound reminiscent of the fall leaves that fell from the trees in Nuvema, her hometown, at this time of year. She wondered if the people that used to live in the Relic Castle liked fall as much as she did, and if they might have felt the hint of magic that welled up in her chest that did every year during autumn. It was right under the orange and red trees that she learned she could talk to Pokémon, and that they could talk back. She hadn't really been a unique child, she enjoyed everything that all of the other kids did, the only thing that set her apart was her passion for art of any kind and her voracious love of reading.

Her favorite book series at the time was the Harry Potter series, books about a boy wizard and his partner Hedwig the Noctowl, and their adventures together learning magic. And it certainly felt like magic to her, sitting under a tall old tree, when the woobat in the hollow started talking.

_"Hey!" He asked in a heavy Transylvanian accent, "What'cha readin'?"  
The girl jumped and looked around, the sudden movement having knocked her oversized glasses askew. She tugged the fiery leaves from her long hair as she tried to find the speaker._

"Who said that?"She asked.

"I did! Up here!"

Kenzie looked up to find a woobat peeking out of a hollow in the tree trunk, it's fur puffed up when a cold breeze swept through the area.

"You?"

"Yeah, me!"

Kenzie's eyes widened, "Do...do you speak to people often?" She asked, wondering if Pokémon really could talk like people and they just kept it a secret.

"Nope." He answered, a goofy grin spread across it's face. "That's 'cause you humans don't normally answer back. You can understand?"

Kenzie nodded in response and the woobat laughed cheerfully, he spread his wings and fluttered in circles above her.

"Now that's a sight to see!" He laughed and settled down in her lap when she sat down again.

She remembered that she kept reading until the sun had set and she couldn't read anymore, the little Woobat was warm and fuzzy in her lap, he laughed at all the right parts in the story, and gasped when he was supposed to. It was a long time before anyone would believe her story, but each day that week she had gone out to read the book to the Woobat that lived in the hollow until the very last page.

"So what? There's no more?" He asked from atop her head as the back cover closed on the book.

"Well, not right now." She responded, grinning happily, "But the author is writing more books, and that means there's more to the story."

"So there is more!" Woobat chattered, taking off from the top of her head.

"Yeah! But it might be a while." She said. "It normally takes a year or so for a new one." She looked at the back cover and scratched her head. "I-I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah kiddo?" He answered, landing on a bare branch, the leaves having deserted it for the ground. "What's on your mind."

"I-I was wondering if you'd be my partner." She asked, digging around in her pocket and bringing out a green and black orb, a Dusk ball. "I'm not old enough to be a trainer yet, but some of my friends have Pokémon that we all play with. We don't battle at all." She looked up to him hopefully. "And we can go back to my house and I can read you more books and stories! I can show you my room and we can play every day and have adventures!"

Woobat didn't answer for a long time, long enough that Kenzie thought he may have fallen asleep. Then he tilted his head and ruffled his fur, that big goofy grin had appeared on his face again.

"Sorry kid, but I've gotta turn you down." He answered, leaping off to hover in front of her. "But don't you be getting all sad about it."  
That was too late though, her heart had sank and tears welled up in her eyes.

"B-but why not?" She asked, sniffing, "I-isn't that what's supposed to h-happen when you've got a P-P-Pokemon that want's 'ta be your friend? Y-you are my f-friend right?"

"Of course I'm your friend kiddo." He said after he landed on her shoulder and his warm fur tickled at her ear. "But I've gotta reason. 'Round this time of year all of us Woobat fly back off to Victory Road to find our families."

"Are you going to come back?" She asked, wiping her eyes.

"I dunno kiddo." He said honestly, "But you sees, I'm a psychic type of Pokemon. Sometimes we see the future, and I had a vision 'bout you this mornin'. You're meant for great things, and so's your partner."

"If you're not going to be my partner, then who is?" She asked.

"That'd ruin the surprise!" Woobat chuckled, "But I'll give you a hint, you'd better hang onta that Pokeball. Right now, deep in the desert your partner is waitin' for you, and lotsa other pokemon just like him. They're buried, just waitin' for someone like you to come around."

He spread his wings and took off, flying around the tree that he used as his home. Already the dusky sky was filling with the shapes of other Woobat flying off to the north, their dark, fuzzy shapes were obvious against the bright orange colored moon.

"Wait!" She said, tears dried and sniffling no longer, "Is it true? Is it really gonna happen?"

Woobat swooped back down and flew around her before pressing a light Heart Stamp to her forehead. "You betcha kid! And I'll tell you one more thing, we're gonna meet again someday and when we do you're gonna be amazin'!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Honey, are you listenin' to me?" Lenora asked, "I need you to shine the light over this way."

"Oh!" Kenzie exclaimed, jolting out of her reverie, "Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

She waved her flashlight in Lenora's direction, lighting up a portion of the wall, she took out a roll of red tape from her bag and marked a large 'X' shape there. The Gym Leader replaced it back in her bag before taking out a tool that resembled a large yellow nail gun.

"Now to put in some electronic markers." She commented, holding the gun up to the center of the 'X'. "Once we do this, they'll emit tiny vibrations and when working with the rest of the beacons we can fully map the inside of this ruin!"

"Wow." Said Kenzie, tilting her head as she watched her. "That's so cool."

The marker gun went off with a loud "KA-CHUNK" and buried the probe into the sandstone. Lenora stood and clapped her hands clean of the sand.

"Alright! One down, four to go." She decided.

As she turned away however, the tunnel let out an unearthly groan and the ceiling above them gave a deep rumble. They both paused and watched the momentary trickle of sand stop and the ruin became quiet once more. That was until they heard the loud crack that broke the silence. Both of their heads whipped around to look at the red 'X' and found that there was a large diagonal crack in the soft sandstone. The hallway rumbled again and the crack widened, pieces shooting out as it webbed across the surface. Lenora hadn't dared to move her gaze from the stone that crumbled before her eyes, she grasped at Kenzie's shoulder and struggled to move them both aside despite the feeling that they were rooted into place.

"Run." She said, a hint of panic rose in her voice. "Run honey! RUN!"

Their shoes sank in the sand as they dashed from the hallway, the stone compacted into itself and the ancient building roared as the stones rained down behind them. The dust rose and billowed behind them as they made their mad dash out of the way of the collapsing cavern, hearts beating wildly with panic, they turned the corner and bounced against the wall the rumbling disappearing far behind them. Lenora gripped her knees and bent over to catch her breath, leaning up against the wall.

"Whoo…huh….that was too close." She shook her head, her green hair gave off a dust cloud as it bounced. "W-what're the odds, hey honey?"

"T-that you choose the one bad stone in the whole place?" Kenzie laughed breathlessly, she lifted her foot to shake the sand out of her shoe but suddenly found it too heavy to move. "Uh…Lenora?"

Kenzie looked down at her sneakers to find that they weren't there anymore, in fact, she was buried up to the middle of her shins in sand and she was sinking lower.

"Lenora!" She cried, struggling to pull her feet from the sand pit that she managed to step in. "Lenora help! Get me out!"

Lenora rushed over and grabbed her hands, being sure not to step into the draining sand pit, straining to pull the girl from the suction that was pulling her under.

"Don't panic honey! Don't panic!" She insisted, "All of these pits lead to somewhere downstairs alright? The drop ain't no more than five feet at the most!"

"Lenora!" She pleaded, the sand had swallowed her up to her waist. "Help! Please!"

"You're gonna be okay!" She said, on her knees, "I'll run right downstairs and find you alright? You're gonna be fine! Don't panic!" She watched as the girl was quickly drawn into the sand to her chest. "Take a deep breath honey! Trust me!"

Kenzie stopped and nodded violently, still grasping to the Leader before she took a deep breath and let go, allowing herself to sink down into the sand. She fell with the sand and felt like a large current was pulling her down through the hole in the floor, plunged into darkness a sickly feeling rose in her stomach when she finally hit air and tumbled to the floor. She crawled and rolled out of the sand pile that she had fallen into and didn't stop until she found a wall to sit against. The darkness covered everything and her flashlight had been lost on the floor above, so she was left there in the shadows until Lenora showed up.

"W-who's there?!" Came a panicked voice, "S-stay back!"

Kenzie jumped at the voice, it sounded close, incredibly close, and it hadn't come from anyone that she knew to be on the team.

"Who said that?" She asked, squinting her eyes. She felt a movement in the air as a slight breeze lifted her bangs from her face.

"I-I did." The voice came again, only this time, even closer.

Kenzie shrieked and scrambled away only to bump her head against an unseen wall.

"Oh! Ow! Ow owowowow!" She whimpered, clutching her head.

"No! Don't worry! I'm sorry!" Came the voice again.

She flinched as an unseen hand brushed her shoulder and eased when it patted her a few more times. Whoever this was, or whatever he was, didn't feel human. In fact, it wasn't quite like anything that she'd felt before, it felt slightly fuzzy like how she imagined that television static would feel.

"I'm okay." She said eventually. "You just startled me is all."

"Well you startled me." The voice pointed out. "What are you?"

"What am I?" She repeated, confused, "I'm a human. My name's Kenzie."

"A human?"

She felt the hand leave her shoulder and his presence circle her.

"You don't look like any human that I've ever seen." He said, tugging at her shoes and clothes. "What are these?"

"Uhh… clothes?" She explained, "Humans wear stuff like this all of the time. Are you…"

"Am I…?" He continued, curiously he felt the material of her shoes.

"A ghost?" She asked, "I felt the presence of a lot of them here in the ruins. You're a ghost Pokemon, aren't you?"

There was a bout of silence for a while, and for a moment Kenzie believed that she'd been left alone except for the fact that she could still sense the Pokemon's presence in the room.

"That's what I've been wondering for a long time." The voice said, "When I first woke up like this I couldn't see, but I felt that my body had changed. I've heard other monsters call us that, and voices of people through the walls, recently. I'm a Pokemon then? That's what you call monsters now?"

"Pokemon is short for Pocket Monsters." She affirmed, "Trainers can capture Pokemon in these spheres called Pokeballs. It doesn't hurt, or harm them, it just gives them a safe place to stay to sleep and rest. Pokemon are our partners and we work and live together."

"Well…. At least that hasn't changed." He said, sounding a little sorrowful, "How…How long has this place been a ruin?"

"Thousands of years, probably." She answered, looking around blindly.

"Thousands?"

Kenzie frowned, she knew he was at least right next to her, but his voice sounded so small. So frightened. She reached out for the unknown pokemon and brushed against him before pulling him into a soft hug. He was tinier than she imagined he was, he sounded like he was at least her age in human terms.

"I couldn't tell." He finally said, "There's no light down here… I didn't know how long it had been. Time passes so fast when it's quiet. I don't even really know what happened to me.

She could feel him shaking against her chest, his small hands tangled in the cloth on her shoulders.

"I was sealed in here long, long ago. I got so hungry…and weak… and then I just fell asleep." He whimpered, "And when I woke up, I wasn't myself anymore."

She hugged the poor Pokemon tight to her chest, she didn't know what was going on really. Was he talking about evolving? Or something else? And it didn't help that she couldn't see what kind of Pokemon he was to figure out what was going on besides knowing that he was a ghost type. But it sounded like he'd been stuck there for a very long time, longer than anyone should be. Her eyes widened in the dark, remembering the TM that Lenora had given her, it had been Will-O-Wisp and she'd tucked it into her bag.

"I think I know some way to make some light." She offered. "I have a friend who's looking for me, but some light might help us find our own way out."

She felt the Pokemon look up at her. "Really?" He asked, sounding astonished. Light? After so long without it? "How are you going to do that?"

"Hold on, I'll show you." She said, fumbling around and looking for the disc. It wasn't like a CD or a DVD, but resembled more a thin silver circle with the number and label of the Pokemon move. "If you… I don't know. Hold onto it, you're supposed to be able to absorb the energy stored inside. It'll teach you how to make light. Fire specifically."

She grabbed his hands gently, noticing that there were only three fingers on each, and pressed the disk into his palm. It hummed softly and he made a curious noise that sounded like a mix of surprise and confusion. She sensed him back away when the disk dropped to her lap.

"So… did it wor-" She cut herself off however, when she quickly raised her hands to her face.

The sudden flash of light from the flickering flames that the Pokemon held hurt her eyes, she didn't lower them until she'd blinked the spots away and she was comfortable. When she lowered them, however, she couldn't help but to gasp in surprise. The Pokemon in front of her was like nothing she'd ever seen before, it's body was a dark gray, nearly black, with a purple-ish aura that emanated just around the surface of his skin. The body itself was largely sphere shaped with barely nubs of a tail, crest, and snout, and from the sides, long gangly arms protruded. The two most notable features though, were the long tail that held an ornate golden mask at the end, and the large, glassy red eyes that took up the majority of the creature's face. His own eyes were opened only slightly adjusting to the light that he hadn't seen in a thousand years.

He looked at his hands, somewhat tentative about the fact that he was holding a ball of blue fire, and studied his form. He'd known what he looked like, but the colors were new.

"I…I imagined that I would be more of a tan color." He sighed before averting his attention to Kenzie. "Thank you, for this."

She smiled at him, "No problem. So, what do you call yourself?"

"My name is Gaiihl." He said, a tone of annoyance crossing his voice. "Can't you tell?" He pointed to a small marking under his eye, a 'G' in the unknown script tattooed there.

"Oh… uh… not really." She admitted, scratching the back of her head as she tapped on the wall with the fragment of a rock.

"Right…" He said. "Sorry. People… probably don't know me anymore."

"Come on over here." She said sympathetically, "The room looks like it's sealed but I think I found a doorway. There's a hug rock in the way though."

"That was there when I was put in here." He said. "And I couldn't move it on my own."

"Well… why don't you use an attack on it?" She suggested, moving to the side as he floated closer. "Go on."

"I-I don't-" He stuttered, his concentration wavered and the flame went out, causing him to squeak in fear before relighting it. "I mean, I'm not sure what I can do."

Kenzie looked around and grabbed a heavy stick from a wall sconce; it looked like it had been a torch at one time and lit the end from the fire in his hands.

"Come on, now I've got some light and you can concentrate on busting us out of here!" She encouraged.

"I guess there's no harm in trying." He conceded, situating himself in front of the doorway.

He squeezed his large eyes shut in concentration and splayed his hands in front of him, not entirely sure what he was supposed to be doing. That fire the summoned was the first thing he'd actually been able to do as a Pokemon and he did his best to reach into that place inside him where he found that power. It came from a sort of want, a need that welled in his chest…or…at least his body, he wasn't quite sure that this new body would qualify as having a chest. He wanted more than anything to get out of this place, but that strange want wasn't only for him, he felt obliged to help the girl he'd just met. As he floated, there, pondering what that could be as the feeling felt so familiar, yet so distant, and then he realized. He wanted to help her because she cared for him, and it had been so long since he'd felt a friend at his side.

A purple and black aura began to gather around his hands and with a sharp snap a dark, disfiguring crack raced through the surface of the stone blocking the passage. His red eyes widened in surprise and the aura evaporated into the air, he didn't even know he had that kind of power!

"Wow!" Kenzie said, walking over and running her hand along the crack, "That was awesome! It's like you hexed it or something!"

Gaiihl floated over to her, hugging the golden object that was wrapped in his tail, "It looks like it went all the way through."

Kenzie heaved herself against the wall and one half of the stone wobbled and, after repeating the same action, was close to toppling before it fell to the ground in front of them with a loud thud and a puff of sand. Gaiihl shrank back before tentatively making his way into a hallway that he hadn't seen for hundreds of years. He looked left and right at the place he'd once known as home before Kenzie, wasting no time, dashed from the room and down the tunnel.

"Come on! This way!" She said, "There are stairs over here!"

He zoomed after her and clung to her shoulder, tail wrapping around her arm to hold himself in place and wondering just what he'd gotten into and how much had changed.


	3. Chapter 3

She took a device from her pocket it on, the light was dim and barely illuminated the controls. Gaiihl gasped in surprise and ducked behind her shoulder, wary of the strange…. Thing that she held in her hand.

"Dang." She said, holding the phone above her head. "No signal, I'd be able to tell Lenora where we were with this."

"What? How would you do that?" He asked, unaware of the looming shadow growing behind them. "Is it like a messenger monst- er… Pokemon?"

"Not really." She said as she grinned, "I can talk to this, and wherever she is, she has one too, and can hear what I say through hers."

Now that was just mind boggling! And the fact that it could make light without fire?! He really had been sealed away for a long time, he'd heard stories long ago about civilizations that had to work with Pokemon to get fire before man figured out how to make it by themselves. It seemed ridiculous to him that people could be so stupid to not know how fire worked, but now it seemed as if the tables had turned. Now he was the one with this primitive fire and she had a magic box that made light and could let you talk to people that weren't even close!

"Alert: Unrecognized object."

"Did you say something Gaiihl?" Asked, Kenzie, hoping that he'd say yes.

"N-n-no… n-not me…" He stuttered.

Gaiihl turned around, red eyes wide as a chill went up his body as he came face to face with a Pokémon at least four times his size. It was very brightly colored, yet it's face resembled a gaping maw with large, sharp teeth.

"A Sigilyph?" Asked Kenzie, turning around as Gaiihl clung to her as he shivered.

"Alert: Unrecognized object." It repeated as it hovered in front of her.

"Oh, this?" She asked, holding the phone out. "It's harmless."

"Warning: Civilian unidentifiable."

"Oh, well I'm not really from here I-"

"Alert! Alert! Invader! Invader! Engaging foreign infiltrator!"

The Siglyph drew back and it's eyes glowed menacingly as a ball of psychic energy began to form in front of it. The energy casted an ominous light between them and the stone walls, the energy pulsated and turned the walls into a lightshow of a pink, roiling sea and everything seemed to slow. Kenzie had never been attacked by a Pokemon before, and definitely not one that was more than half her size. Once they knew she understood they had always backed down before, why not now? With a loud crackle the Sigilyph sent the ball of psychic energy hurtling towards them, it was like the few seconds after someone trips. They could see the ground coming, and they knew what they needed to do, but sometimes there just wasn't enough time to put your arms out. Or, in this case, dive to the side.

The ball of light reflected in her wide eyes, a chill of terror racing down her spine as her heart let out a few quick ba-dums as the adrenaline was released. She hardly felt it when that feeling of television static left her shoulder and the black shape blocked out the reflection in her eyes, like the moon eclipsing the sun. Gaiihl held out the golden mask that he held with his tail and the energy melded and burst off around it as time quickened to it's normal pace.

"Gaiihl!" Kenzie cried, blocking her face from the sand that the attack whipped up, her hair waving wildly. "Use Will-O-Wisp!"

Without much time to think, Gaiihl obeyed her orders, half scared out of his wits. He tossed a barrage of blue flames at the Sigilyph who shrank back and cried out indignantly. The fire had done enough to give the creature some minor burns, yet it refused to turn tail and run. Gaiihl threw up his arms as he was forced to take a blow of energy, surprisingly it hadn't hurt as much as he'd imagined.

"You're a ghost type!" Kenzie shouted, "Psychic attacks aren't very effective against ghosts! Use Hex!"

The purple-black aura surrounded Gaiihl's hands again and he splayed them out like someone would if they threw a baseball. The tendril of darkness snaked out and enveloped the Sigilyph in the black cloud, energy sparking across it and with a powerful jolt the attack evaporated. The Sigilyph hovered weakly for a moment, wobbling this way and that, before falling to the ground with a thud as it fainted. Kenzie stood there, dumbfounded, her fists still clenched out in front of her.

"We did it…" She mumbled, voice growing in volume. "We did it Gaiihl! I just won my first battle! No, we won our first battle!"

She jumped up and down happily, never would have thought that the day would come so soon! Her small celebration was soon interrupted however, when Gaiihl zoomed over and began pushing at her back.

"Come on! We've got to get out of here before more of them show up!" He warned, pushing with all of what little physical strength he had. "They were trained to guard the ruins! Up the stairs! Let's go!"

She stumbled as he pushed against her shoulder and trotted forward at his command. She dashed towards the stairs, the ghost Pokémon clinging tightly to her arm as she scrambled her way up. She was sure that they were both done with this place, at least for a while.

"Lenora?!" She yelled, feeling as if she was starting to recognize the place.  
"Lenooorrraaa?"

"Sweetie?!" Came a reply, echoing quietly from somewhere in the ruins. "Kenzie?! Is that you?"

"It's me Lenora!" She yelled back, starting off down the corridor. "Where are you?"

"Keep talking! I can hear you getting closer!"

"Yeah! I can hear you too!"

Soon enough Lenora peeked around the corner. Her face lit up with relief and she ran the back of her hand across her forehead.

"Thank goodness you're alright. I heard some Pokemon fighting earlier and I'd thought that you'd gotten yourself caught up in something terrible." The Gym Leader's gaze drifted when she caught sight of movement behind the girl, "Oh my, will you look at that! You and your gift girl." Lenora shook her head. "Only you could make a Yamask come out of hiding to talk with you. They usually keep to themselves and out of sight in the lower parts of the castle. So who's this?"

"Oh." Said Kenzie, trying to coax Gaiihl from her shoulder, "This is Gaiihl he's been stuck in some room for a long time. It was all sealed off and I fell right into it from that sand pit. He helped me break out and escape, he's a bit confused by-"

"-By nearly everything." He interrupted. "The magic boxes, all the clothes, everything! She says you're a gym leader…. Whatever that means, but if you're a leader then you've got to know about what's happened to me right?"

Lenora looked cluelessly from the babbling Yamask to the girl and back. "I'm sorry Gaiihl, but I can't say I can understand you, darlin'."

"What?" He asked, giving Lenora a puzzled look. "Why not? Kenzie can understand me perfectly fine!"

"Gaiihl…" Kenzie said gently, "A lot of people can't understand Pokemon like I do. Maybe about one in a hundred really can. Most people only begin to understand them after a long time, and usually only with ones that they've taken in as partners."

Gaiihl frowned and looked down at his mask, not only did he not look like himself anymore, but he couldn't be understood either?

"Can you ask her if she knows what happened to me?" He requested, floating at her side.

"Lenora," She asked, "Gaiihl wants to know what happened to him. I'm not really sure what that means, but he's sure that he's changed somehow."

"Well it's only natural that he'd want to know." She said, kneeling down to eye level with the Pokemon, "Darlin' this is going to be hard for you, but I don't know what happened to your people to make you like this. I don't know what kind of person you were, but there are a lot of other Yamask like you. That's what your kind has been named by the officials anyway, your people still exist, but times have changed and they've changed a lot."

"Wait," Kenzie interrupted, "what do you mean by 'people'?"

"Honey, Yamask used to be human once, just as human as you or me." Lenora said. "Something happened hundreds of years ago to wake their spirits and have them live on as Pokemon. We don't know why. There are a lot of rules and regulations if you want to train a Yamask too, 'cause they remember everythin' about being human. I bet Gaiihl does too."

"You didn't tell me that." Kenzie said, looking down at the ghost.

Gaiihl bowed his head and sighed, "Yes, I used to be human once. This…this was me."

He removed the mask from its perch on his tail and turned it around in his hands before holding it out to the girl. His grip tightened as the gently took it in her own hands and he shakily let go, feeling uneasy without its presence as she examined it. It was the face of a young man wearing a blank, relaxed expression with a tattoo of the unown 'G' below his eye. His face was soft, not yet having outgrown some childish features and his eyes were big and kind looking, as if they were purposely sculpted to look trustworthy. Lenora watched curiously, one arm on her own waist and her hand at her mouth. It was incredibly hard to separate a Yamask from their mask and when it happened it usually resulted in a very angry and powerful spirit that would do anything to get it back. Kenzie handed the golden oval back to Gaiihl who took it into his arms and held it close to his body as if the separation had weakened him somehow.

"Come on you two." Said Lenora, "Let's get out of here, we're going to have to show Gaiihl how the world has changed. You ain't gonna last long if you don't know what's out there."

Gaiihl nodded, once again clinging to Kenzie's shoulder as Lenora led them to the entrance. The tunnel they had gone through before was blocked off by a pile of rubble that had nearly rained down upon them earlier and thus they had to take a side path of winding corridors to get to the exit where the rest of the mapping team was waiting for them. Lenora shoo'd them away when they attempted to come close; some of them caught sight of the Yamask and understood. Some showed their friends the Pokedex entry that explained their origins and some scanned him from afar. Before long the majority of them had retreated to the equipment hidden inside a large tent, the kind that one would see at fairs or gatherings, to keep the sand out of the precious technology.

For the next couple hours Lenora, Kenzie, and Gaiihl sat at the steps that led down into the ruin. They explained as much as they could to the Yamask, and the more they did, the less sure of himself he became. He didn't belong in this world anymore and that was certain. Time had left him behind as it spurred itself forward leaving him barely a moment to blink before realizing that everything he knew, everything he loved, and everyone… it was all gone. All but the other Yamask and the ruins of his once proud civilization remained.

"…But really hon, it's way too much to explain in one sitting without you seeing it all." Lenora admitted, shaking some sand out of her volumous hair. "And the human world really isn't that safe for a Pokemon like you without a trainer for guidance. Everyone needs a little help now and again."

Gaiihl remained silent, staring at his mask for a long while. He remembered when he'd had a Pokemon of his own, though that was long in the past. He felt tears well up in his eyes, so many people and friends that were gone now seemed to reflect in the metal dulled by the dark sky, even his precious partner had probably passed long ago. The images scattered as a glint of light shot across the forehead of the mask, lighting it up with a warm, golden glow. Gaiihl closed his eyes tightly, shading them from the sudden burst before opening them only slightly to take in the beautiful sight before him. The sky over the desert lit up with brilliant hues of orange and red, chasing the deep blue of the night across the horizon and hiding the starts with a bright turquoise silk.

"If…if you don't mind…" He said quietly, the sphere of fire on the horizon reflecting in his watery eyes, "I'd like to be alone for a while."

Kenzie tilted her head, watching as Gaiihl stared at the dawn of a new day, and a new time in his case. So much wonder in those bright red eyes, he'd probably forgotten what the sun looked like if that was possible. She nodded and gave him a quick hug, grabbing Lenora's hand and pulling her away to let him spend some time alone with the sunrise.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" She asked, looking back to the friend that she'd made.

"I don't know hon'. There's a reason why Yamask usually stay in hidin'. They'd rather be alone with their memories, safe and sound in the dark than out here in the cities and towns that they don't know anymore. It's all too overwhelming for most of 'em." She explained, "But I've met a few trainers who've managed to befriend them and let me tell you, they're friends for life. They're especially good with first timers too. Because they were people, it's easier for them and trainers to communicate and relate with each other."

She glanced back at the dark gray shape at the steps, sitting between the shadows of the ruins and the bright morning sun. Her heart sank with sympathy, wondering just how hard it was for him after finding out so much, no wonder his kind would rather think of happier times in a home that they once lived in. But watching him stare at the sunrise, she was happy that she could at least give him that, though still… some part of her was still giddy that maybe, possibly, Gaiihl was the partner that the Woobat spoke of. She let herself have a small smile as she ducked into the tent to meet up with the rest of the crew and to tell them about her little adventure and her first Pokemon battle where she actually battled with an un-captured Pokemon.

Lenora waited until had retreated and walked back over to the small Pokemon, sitting down next to him in the sand so they were at eye level.

"Thank you-" She said, tilting her head to look at Gaiihl, "- for helping Kenzie out of that tight spot she was in back there."

Gaiihl looked up to the gym leader and smiled sadly, stroking the back of his mask.

"Yama...yam, yamask." It…was nothing; she helped me out of one too.

"You know…" She said, turning her gaze to the rising sun, the two shapes casting long shadows into the Relic Castle. "As much as you don't know about this world, it's a pretty amazing place. And Kenzie would be a better teacher than I would. Sure, us 'old' folks know a lot, but some of us sorta forget how to adapt you know?"  
She waved her hand at the surrounding desert, "I could tell you everything about this place, but I've got no clue when it comes to half of the new mass-produced technology out there. Learning to operate something for my work? I could do that if the instructions were simple enough, but these new-fangled X-Transceivers and all of that stuff? I can't do that.

"It's amazin' how most people think that being smart is all from experience, but youngin's have a kind of wisdom all their own. They know how to be kind without expecting anything in return, they remember how to day dream and wonder, and they're pretty good with handling all of this new stuff out for sale."

Gaiihl gave her a strange look, wondering just what she was getting at. She waited for a response and he waved his hand in a circular motion, coaxing her to continue.

"Well, what I'm tryin' to say, Gaiihl, is that I think you and Kenzie would both benefit from it if you became her partner." She said, "Most people her age have already left home to see the world but without a partner to care for her and for her to take care of…. She's just stuck watching her life go by."

Lenora stood with a huff, stretching out her back. "We're all going to be heading out soon. If I were you, I'd make a decision. Time isn't going to stand still and wait for you to decide hon', but you gotta do what's best for you. Good luck Gaiihl."

Soon enough the team had packed up and left the tent secured against the harsh desert winds that tended to pick up around midday. Kenzie yawned and stretched, feeling ready for a nap once she got home; her tired blue eyes scanned the surrounding area for Gaiihl. She turned around a couple of times, looking for the familiar black shape as the flap on the tent whipped around her legs. She crossed her arms and tilted her head down to avoid the sand that was starting to take to the wind as she trudged over to Lenora who was sitting on something that's shape could be described as a 'four-wheeler' that levitated slightly above the sand, relying on hover-technology instead of wheels as the sand usually grounded normal vehicles.

She sat down behind the Gym Leader, feeling rather disappointed. She had been to the desert many times since the Woobat told her that she would meet her partner there, always begging her mother to take her when they came out on a trip to Nimbasa city when normal kids would much rather go to the amusement park. She would make friends with the Sandile and Krokorok and play games with the Darumaka but at the end of the day they would all give their own reasons as to why they'd rather stay in the Desert Resort. After a while, it was only expected that she'd make a new friend and have to leave them behind once the trip had ended and her only hope would be to come back as soon as possible and try again. She looked back a little forlornly at the ruins, part of her felt that this time might have been it… but maybe Gaiihl hadn't, and maybe this world was too much for him to take in?

"Alright hon, time to get you home." Lenora said, starting up the vehicle. "Your Mom won't mind if we're late will she?"

"Late?" Kenzie questioned, "Why would we be late? We're ahead of schedule. I'd be getting home earlier than what we planned before."

"Not really sugar, I was thinking that it'd be best if we traveled a little slower for our passenger." Lenora shifted to the side to reveal the Yamask, curled up and asleep in a compartment in the dash.


	4. Chapter 4

"Wake up! Wake up!" Kenzie cried, "It's time to go-o-oh!"

Gaiihl groaned as he pawed at the bed to crawl back under the pillow to hide from the little daylight there was. He pulled his tail from the girl's grip, resting his head against his mask.

"Just a little while longer…" The Yamask yawned pleadingly, "It's too early."

"You can sleep in your Poke'Ball." She said, popping the small sphere from her belt. The small orb extended in her hand and took up most of the space of her palm. "We've got to go! Professor Juniper isn't going to wait on us."

"Fine, I'll rest in the 'Ball." He said, remaining curled up in his spot on the bed.

Kenzie rolled her eyes and clicked the button on the front of the Dusk Ball where a bright red laser shot from the center and enveloped the ghost Pokemon to pull his energy inside. The ball shrank once again and she felt a small shift in it's weight as Gaiihl adjusted to his new form inside to make himself comfortable. She smiled to herself and popped it back into her belt, five identical indents next to it that she hoped to fill soon.

Two weeks had passed since Gaiihl had decided to become her partner though to her it seemed as if it had lasted just one long day. There was a rush to get her everything she needed for her journey like a new bag, a collapsible tent, food for both her and Gaiihl, a brand new X-Transceiver to replace her cell phone, a pair of running shoes, and whatever else her mother deemed necessary to carry around. Gaiihl hadn't left her side since she came home after the mapping 'expedition' though she couldn't tell if he was frightened or if he just enjoyed the company. She attempted to expose him to technology just a little at a time, staring with the lights and moving to television and other objects. She frequently had to tell him to stop flicking the lights on and off, and to not sit so close to the television screen, or to make sure he closed the refrigerator door so the food didn't spoil.

Each night before bed he would make her tell him a story, as if he were a small child. Kenzie would dim the lights and make herself comfortable under the blankets and he would curl up next to her shoulder expectantly. She knew that he wasn't too young, sixteen he had told her, a year younger than she was. He didn't act like his age though, it was like his new form had also given him a childish nature with a gentle heart, but she couldn't know if it was from his 'rebirth' or if that had actually been his true personality. Often she'd awake to his crying to find him staring at his mask and she would take the small form into her arms and let him hug it out until he fell asleep once more.

Just as she was gathering the last of her things a knock sounded at her bedroom door. She looked up to see it swing open just before a set of arms wrapped around her and nearly lifted her off of her feet.

"Kenzie!" Bianca cried happily, "I can't believe it! You're finally casting off!"

"Bianca, you're crushing her." Cheren pointed out, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Oh! Sorry Kenzie!" She said, scratching the back of her head. "Say, where's Gaiihl at?"

The Pokeball on Kenzie's belt gave a slight quiver and Bianca's eyes brightened. She clapped happily and bounced a little.

"Good Morning Gaiihl!" She said happily.

"So did Juniper give you guys your Pokemon yet?" Kenzie asked as she searched for her hat.

She finally found the pale green military-style hat and placed it on her head, ponytail low in order to hold it in place. Bianca looked like she was about to explode with excitement as she clutched a bright red and white Pokeball in her hands. Cheren reached into his pocket and grabbed his own, letting the sphere extend to its full size in his hand.

"Yes!" Bianca squeaked excitedly. "Oh Kenzie! Will you talk to him for me? Please? Please?"

"Sure." Kenzie nodded, sitting on her bed. "What's his name?"

"Ottumn." She replied, rubbing the Pokeball against her cheek before clicking the button and freeing the Pokemon resting inside.

Ottumn shook himself as the red beam of light receded back into the Pokeball. He had a great deal of fluffy, white fur and two eyes like polished lake stone that sat above a comically adorable nose. He ran his paws over his face, straightening the blue fur on his ears. He lifted his head and looked up at the taller humans, a grin spreading across his face as he wiggled his tail excitedly.

"Hi!" He exclaimed, "Are we playing? Are we going to battle? I really wanna battle!"

He turned to paw at Bianca's leg, trying to climb up her puffy jacket.

"Hey! Hey lady! Trainer lady! Are we going to battle? Please?! Please?! I'm going to show you how good I am! I'm big and strong!" He said, sliding back down her coat to fall on his rump.

Kenzie had to stop herself from squealing, Oshawott were some of the most adorable and competitive Pokemon in Unova. She knelt down and gently picked up Ottumn by his sides, setting him back on his wobbly feet.

"Thanks lady!" He said, turning around to face her. "Can I battle you?"

"Maybe later." She laughed, "So, Ottumn, how do you like your trainer so far? Bianca?"

"Bianca?" He questioned, looking up to the girl that had released him from his Pokeball. "Yeah! I like that lady! She's nice! We're going to go exploring together, isn't that cool?! And we're gonna meet new friends and we're gonna battle and we're gonna go camping and we're gonna eat food together and we're gonna sleep out under the stars and we're gonna go battle and we're gonna fish and we're gonna battle-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Kenzie laughed, picking up the Oshawott that found itself running in circles in his excitement. "He's very excited to be your partner, Bianca." She said as she held the Pokemon out to her.

Bianca took Ottumn into her arms and hugged him tightly, pressing her face into his soft fur as he attempted to bat her hat from her head.

"Ottumn, control yourself." An annoyed voice said.

Kenzie turned her head to find that Cheren's Snivy had let itself out of it's Poke'ball and was chiding the water type.

"No, you control yourself." The Oshawott shot back, climbing on top of Bianca's head in place of the hat.

"That doesn't make any sense." It said, looking up at Ottumn with distaste. "We've finally been chosen by a pair of trainers and here you are acting as if this is some play date. You're responsible for keeping your trainer safe and I'm responsible for mine."

"Geeze, loosen up your highness." Ottumn said, " Half of the job is keeping your trainer happy too!"

Kenzie bent down on her knees and examined the Snivy, who looked back at her with half-lidded eyes. He seemed to have a very serious nature and was rather hard to amuse.

"What's your name?" She asked, holding out her hand.

The Snivy's large eyes drifted to her hand and back to her face before he crossed his arms and sniffed disapprovingly. He turned away and marched back to his trainer, climbing up his back and resting himself on Cheren's shoulder. He glared at her over his partner's shoulder; it didn't seem as if he was the friendliest Pokemon.

"Uh, his name is Smugly." Cheren said apologetically as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, he's protective at least." She laughed, playing off the creature's bad attitude.

Kenzie nudged the Poke'ball in her belt. "Come on out Ghaiil, you've been avoiding other Pokemon since we met at the ruins. You've got to meet them some time." She coaxed.

The ball stayed still.

"Gaiihl, come on now. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to, but things like this are just unavoidable." She nudged it again. "Besides, I've got a present I need to give you anyway. I've been saving it for today."

The ball wiggled weakly and stopped, wiggling again it was able to detach from the belt and pop open against the ground with a bright red flash before it zoomed to the trainer's hand.

"You know…" He said, stretching his lanky arms. "I never thought I'd get used to that Poke'ball thing. But it really isn't so bad."

"So were you being shy, or just being lazy?"

"Maybe a little bit of both." He admitted, waving to Bianca and Cheren.

Ottumn's pebbly eyes narrowed, honing in on the ghost type. Without warning, the Oshawott wiggled it's little rump and launched itself from Bianca's head.

"BATTLE!" Ottumn screeched with glee.

However, the poor Oshawott's look of glee turned to shock. Gaiihl had thrown his hands out in front of him, eyes wide, only to have his foe's tackle pass right through him. Ottumn rolled head over heels, straight under Kenzie's bed and against the wall where a loud 'THUMP' could be heard.

Gaiihl looked around confusedly, not entirely sure how that happened as Bianca got on her knees to pull her poor Pokemon out from under the bed.

"He's out cold." She sighed, looking to Gaiihl apologetically as she cradled the Oshawott in her arms. "I'm sorry. He's just a little bit too excited."

"Yama yamsk ama." He replied. It's alright, I think I'm okay.

"Of course you are." Smugly scoffed, nose up as he addressed the Yamask. "Normal type moves are unable to affect ghost types such as yourself, but at the same time, you can't hit them with ghost type moves. Fighting type moves are equally useless against ghosts."

"O-oh." Gaiihl stuttered, still somewhat shocked that he could understand Pokemon now. "W-well that's alright. P-p-proffessor Juniper taught m-me a new move from a TM. There are a l-lot of n-normal type P-Pokemon around here, so she g-gave me Energyball to t-try and g-get us s-started."

"A grass type move, hm?" Smugly stared him down with an eye. "That is acceptable."

"Okay?" Gaiihl responded, not wanting Smugly's approval in the first place anyway.

"Hey Kenzie." Cheren said, straightening his glasses. "How would you feel like a battle? Smugly and I have been training and since Bianca's Oshawott is out of commission for now-" Bianca smiled sheepishly, Ottumn now safe and sound in his Pokeball, "- I'd like to see how much stronger we've gotten."

Kenzie looked to Gaiihl. "How do you feel about that? You did great in our first battle together."

"I d-don't know…" He stroked the mask on his tail nervously. "I-I'd rather not…"

"I understand." Smugly offered, a kind smile turning to one of mocking. "I'd be scared too if I were you, it takes a lot of courage to go against a Pokemon like me. Skilled as I am."

"N-now h-hold on a minute!" Gaiihl countered. "I never said I was s-scared of you!"

"O-oh r-r-really?" Smugly mimicked, laughing. "You might not have said it, but your face says it all on its own."

"Well why don't you come down here and take a closer look?!" He challenged, balling his hands up into fists. "I'll battle you!"

"It's about time." The Snivy yawned, climbing nonchalantly from Cheren's shoulder.

"I'm guessing that's a yes?" Cheren asked, listening to the two bickering Pokemon.

"Yama! Ya yama yama yamassssk!"

"Sni! Sni snivy sni!"

"Oh, you got it." Kenzie said, backing up and taking a stance as Bianca got out of the way to sit on the bed, leaving the two trainers on opposite corners of the room. Kenzie grabbed the bill of her hat and lowered it over her eyes.

"Right Gaiihl. Show them that we mean business!"

"Yama!"


	5. Chapter 5

Gaiihl tightened his small hands into fists, tensing and loosening them as he waited for Kenzie's first command. Smugly smirked, widening his stance and waiting for his own trainer's command.

"Gaiihl! Use will-o-wisp!"

"Use wrap, Smugly!"

Already Gaiihl had the glowing ball of blue flames in his hand when Smugly darted forward, vines emerging from his back and wrapping the ghost uncomfortably tight. Suddenly and without warning numerous strips of gauze materialized from Gaiihl's ghostly form, snaking up the vines to wind themselves around Smugly. It didn't seem to do any damage, but it definitely surprised everyone in the room that the grass type had been loosely mummified. Gaiihl flung the ball of flames at Smugly who covered his face from the blast, light burns on his gauze covered arms.

"W-w-what was that?" Gaiihl exclaimed, eyes wide and staring at his arms where the gauze had materialized.

"All Yamask have the ability Mummy." Kenzie explained. "It removes the other Pokemon's ability and replaces it with the same thing. Now use hex!"

"Dodge it and use vine whip!" Cheren commanded.

Smugly jumped, the hex flying past and knocking objects from a dresser as the vines emerged once again from the Snivy's back and lashed against Gaiihl.

"Gah!" He cried out, the vines stung at his body and the ones he'd been previously wrapped in chafed painfully.

Smugly landed, eyes narrowed as he smirked only to close them and grunt. The burns were affecting him badly as a grass-type. Smugly whipped out his vines again and sent Gaiihl careening onto the bed. He scowled and used hex once more, seeing the word forming on his trainer's lips. This time it was a direct hit and Smugly tried desperately to shake it off, he wobbled on his tiny legs and stumbled back.

"I'm not going to lose to you!" He cried in disdain, losing the cool that Snivy were so known for.

"Yeah?" Gaiihl taunted, turning around and shaking his tail at him, a plan forming in his head. "I'd like to see you even –nnngh-" the vines chafed, "-try to win!"

"Smugly, use vine whip!" Cheren ordered, wondering just what they were saying.  
Smugly growled to himself and his eyes shifted from Gaiihl, to Cheren, and back to Gaiihl before he charged forward in a tackle.

"No one talks to me like that!" Smugly shouted, diving at the Yamask.

He soon realized his mistake, he'd used a normal type move against a ghost type. He flew right through Gaiihl's barely corporeal form and straight onto the desk, knocking off everything that had been seated on it before he slid into the wall and dropped to the floor.

"Sniii…" He groaned, almost out cold. "My head is….s-spinning…"

Cheren walked over and took the Pokemon into his arms, the gauze evaporating into thin air. The vines wrapping Gaiihl also loosened their hold, the previously tough, scratchy plant material becoming soft and squishy enough for him to break the binds.

"Well, it looks like you won this one." Cheren admitted, digging around in his pocket and holding out a small sum of money. "You earned it. Looks like Smugly and I'll have to get to know each other better, on and off the battlefield."

"Cheren, you don't have to do that." Kenzie said, refusing to take the money as she cleaned the vines from the floor and tossed them into the trash.

Cheren rolled his eyes and shrugged, watching as Kenzie bent down to pick up Gaiihl he tucked it in the back pouch of her bag. A win was a win.

"Uh…. Kenzie?" Bianca squeaked. "Is your Mom going to be okay with this?"

"Be okay with wha-" She looked around, eyes widening. "-Oh…"

The room was a complete disaster after that battle. Rugs were crooked, pictures had fallen from the walls… the only things clear were her dresser and desk and that was because everything had been pushed onto the floor.

"I'm sure she won't mind…" She hoped aloud, "She'll probably just use it as a reason to have me come visit more often, call me home to clean my room and then try to keep me here for a week."

"Well, we have to give her a reason to miss you first." Cheren said, a smirk on his face as he drew Smugly into his Pokeball. "Come on, we should all go and get our Pokémon healed before we head out along Route 1."

Kenzie nodded as Gaiihl clung to her shoulder, a little bruised and sore, but very proud of himself. He could hold his own in this new time, sure, he had a lot to learn, but here he was already winning his first actual battle. He'd upheld his own honor and he'd probably be called to do the same again in the near future, whether it be for himself or for his trainer, and he'd be happy to put in the effort.

It was nearly an hour later that Kenzie had finally left the house after a tearful goodbye from her mother, but judging by the six Pokeballs on her own belt, she knew the importance of the journey ahead of her daughter. So with many rushed words of advice, a double, triple checking of her equipment, a packed lunch, and a hug for both her and her Pokemon, Kenzie was ushered out the door and into the chill autumn air.

Gaiihl shivered visibly, compared to the desert, everywhere in the Unova region was cold to him. Back in his time, all of Unova was a desert with a few, lush forests and oasis dotting the land around the rivers and inlets. He'd been to this part of Unova before many times as the sea here in what would become Nuvema town had always been more beautiful than the large rivers that held his city in between. Then it was no more than a few wooden buildings from random settlers and fisherman set in the sand, but now it had become a lush, fertile land perfect for farming. In all honesty, he liked the change in scenery, but not the temperature.

"Oh!" Kenzie exclaimed, remembering what she'd promised him before. "You just reminded me, I've got that present for you."

"W-what i-is it?" He asked, unsure if his stutter was from his natural nervousness or from the cold.

She stopped in front of Professor Juniper's lab and set her backpack on a bench. Inside were numerous objects that resembled Pokeballs, yet their design was somewhat different. They stayed in the larger form and instead of being perfect spheres, they were slightly oblong and had labels on each one.

"What are t-those?" He asked, curious.

"Those are Supply Balls." She explained, rooting through them to get to a wrapped package at the bottom. "How do you think we carry everything without it getting too heavy?"

She pulled out one and showed it to him.

"My sleeping bag is in here…" She pulled out another, "…. And extra change of clothes is in here…" Another, "…Medical kit in here…" She tossed them all back into the bag. "They work like Pokeballs except for items. Sometimes you'll find some that other trainers have dropped, Potions, any kind of Heals, sometimes even . They're easy to misplace, but for some things it makes traveling a lot easier. I'd rather carry a bike in this than carry it on my back."

"What's a bike?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter right now, I'll show you one when we see one." She said, waving her hand dismissively. "Anyway, here. This is for you."

Gaiihl took the package in his hands, drifting over to the bench as Kenzie shouldered her backpack again. Carefully, he ripped open the packaging and his eyes widened. He let the strip of fabric slide through his hands, it was of an incredibly soft material and nothing he'd ever worn in life rivaled it. Yet, despite that the colors of the garment made him think of home, soft browns, gold, and bright red fringes. On each square of gold that pattered the fabric was an Unown figure, he read down it and smiled slightly.

"Gaiihl Yama Basiri…." He said.

"You said that was your full name, right?" She asked, "I hope I spelled it right."

"Yes, yes… it's…. it's perfect." He said, hugging the fabric to his face. "Thank you…but… what is it?"

"It's a scarf." She said, taking it from him and wrapping it around his form under his mouth.

He shrugged his shoulders, feeling warmer already, and there was enough of the scarf trailing at the ends that he could wrap his arms if he so wished. Being as small as he was, the scarf was enough to warm him and stave off the chilly fall air. It was then he realized that it was his first possession or at least, his first possession in this new life of his.

"Come on." He said, a new vigor pouring through him as he grabbed her hand and attempted to tug her along. He missed his old body; he'd just throw her over his shoulder and make his way there himself. "Let's get inside so I can get healed, you can grab your Poke Desk-"

"Poke'Dex." She corrected.

"-Your Poke Desk and we can start off!" He insisted, now eager to see what the world ahead of them had to offer.

Kenzie had been in a state of non-stop excitement since he agreed to be her partner, but the thought of being out on their own in this strange world full of strange technology frightened him. Now though, the excitement he'd held down boiled up inside of him. This was an adventure; they'd hike to Accumula Town and maybe camp out in the forest if they decided to try to continue on to Striation City before nightfall. The feeling of excitement was nearly overwhelming now, growing in his chest and threatening to burst. He'd only had two instances of this feeling in his previous life…

The two made their way inside of the lab, really it wasn't that much. A few computers, a cabinet full of scientific instruments ranging from microscopes to scanners, and a large machine in the back that was usually found in Pokemon Centers; a healing machine.

"Ah! Good to see you." Professor Juniper exclaimed, looking up from her desk and the article she had immersed herself in. "I was wondering when you'd stop by. Cheren and Bianca are waiting for you up by Route 1."

"Sorry." She apologized, grabbing the Dusk Ball from her belt and drawing Gaiihl into it. "Mom wasn't quite ready to see us go yet…"

"They never are." Juniper said matter-of-factly, walking over to help her with the healing machine. "So I better give you what you came for before she comes barging in and decides she's changed her mind about letting you go."

"Has that really happened before?"

"Mmmm… once or twice." She said, "But it all works out in the end."

The machine hummed as it started up and a few moments later it was finished.

"There you go, Gaiihl should be right as rain now." Juniper said, "And here is your Poke'Dex. I've also taken the liberty of gathering a few things for you. Some Pokeballs and a few Potions for minor injuries. Typical battles won't call for more than Potions, but if Gaiihl faints he needs to be taken to a Pokemon Center. If he's any worse than that though, or any of your other Pokemon that you're bound to come across you might have to spend a few nights in the Pokemon Center but it rarely comes to that."

Kenzie nodded and let Gaiihl back out of his ball. He clung to her shoulder again, fully healed and full of energy. Soon enough the two left to Route 1 to find Bianca and Cheren waiting there for them.

"Oh! There you are!" Bianca said excitedly. "We were waiting for y'all. I thought it was a good idea if we took our first step of our journey together!"

Kenzie grinned and trotted over to the two, linking her arms with them.

"Ready…" Cheren said. "One…two… three!"

And with a leap the three trainers took their first step onto the rough trail that was Route 1.


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright! Use Energyball!"

Gaiihl once again summoned the glowing green ball of energy and hurled it at his opponent, the attack cut through the air with a gust of wind causing the leaves and grass to bend in its wake. The green ball slammed into the Purrloin's side and the purple cat-like Pokemon was sent hurtling backwards and into the trunk of a tree where it collapsed in a heap, eyes crossed comically.

"Y-you…y-ou're p-pretty….good at this…." It managed to meow as her trainer dashed to her side.

"Yeah!" Kenzie gave a little hop and gave Gaiihl a high five (though he was still new to the concept). "Not even halfway to Accumula and we've already won five battles!"

"Yeah… five battles." Gaiihl said, draping himself over her shoulder, feeling exhausted. Who knew that battling could take so much out of a Pokemon?

"Congratulations." The other trainer praised, walking over to them, "That was a great battle! Usually Purrsephone is able to knock out battles really quickly, but it still looks like we've got more training to do."

He pet the creature in his arms as he sprayed its wounds with a potion before handing Kenzie the prize money that she had earned.

"So are you heading for Accumula?" He asked, drawing the Purrloin back into her Pokeball. "It's still a ways away if you're walking there on foot, I live in an apartment there but if you need to set up camp there's a good spot just a little ways away from here over in the forest there. It's a nice clearing, really big too with a fire pit and everything."

"Thanks for the tip." Kenzie said, nodding gratefully as she shook his hand. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, might have a rematch?"

"If it's all the same with you, I'd rather wait and train a while before going up against you and your Yamask again. I think Purrsephone feels the same about that." He laughed and tipped his hat to her as he moved to continue along the route. "See you!"

"Yeah! See you later!" She yelled back happily, starting towards the direction that he had pointed.

"Who knew that just five battles could-"Gaiihl interrupted himself with a yawn as Kenzie made her way down a well-worn trail. "- could make one exhausted so?"

"You've worked really hard today." Kenzie praised, "You're really strong for such a little guy."

Gaiihl felt himself blush slightly at the compliment, though he wasn't sure if it could be seen against his dark coloring. "Y-yeah…well… I was much stronger in my past life." He said, "I was a stonecutter, I could push and pull blocks of stone all day long."

"Really?" Kenzie asked, un-shouldering her pack and setting it in the soft, cool grass. The clearing was partly shaded by the trees above, casting small halos of light down on the forest floor as the light filtered through the fiery leaves. "They had you doing that kind of work at sixteen?"

"Of course." Gaiihl said, drifting down to rest on her pack as he closed his eyes and listened to the crunch of the leaves beneath her shoes as she went around gathering firewood. "It might seem different somewhat to you, but we began work at an early age. I helped build many of the parts of what you now call the Relic Castle."

"Wow…" She said, casting a glance over at the small form as she bent down to adjust the fire pit.

It was still hard for her to believe that he was once a young man around her own age. His spirit just looked so small and fragile, yet she was talking with an ancient architect who carved stone and built castles with his bare hands. She nearly had to hold in a laugh, trying to imagine him as a muscular, athletic type of boy seemed so ridiculous when he was so tiny with limbs that were almost twig-like.

"So, I've been meaning to ask…" She said, "What does that mark under your eye mean? You pointed it out to me before and I didn't really want to pry."

"Oh," he said, stretching slightly as he rooted through her bag for a potion to start spraying on his aches. "It's the mark of the ro- of my family." He corrected. "Each member of my family had the tattoo of the first letter of their name under their eye. Each family has their own specific markings. Sometimes it could be a circle on the shoulder, or maybe a star on the forehead…. But we had the Unown."

"Oh! I get it now, so even if you didn't know someone, if you saw their marking then you would know who was related and who knew who…right?" She asked, clearing the dry leaves away from the fire pit so they wouldn't light.

"Exactly." He said, shaking the bottle, not entirely sure how to use the potion. "And then there would be the Pharaohs and the Queens and their family. Their rules were known by the family symbol. Before the…the last rulers there was the Darmani family, they had tattoos like the Darmanitan's eyebrows, before them, there was the New Bud family, they had the marking of a seed on their palms."

She walked over to him and took the potion from his hands and had him point to his pains, carefully spraying the spots where he was harmed in the battle.

"You know…" Kenzie said, eyes bright as she healed his wounds. "You don't talk much about your family. I mean… there's a chance they ended up the same as you."

"…Maybe." Gaiihl sighed, even his sighs sounded like a low, breathy 'yama'. "They passed on maybe three years before I did. I didn't know it until much later, years later."

"What?" Kenzie asked, putting the empty potion bottle into her bag.

"I was off on my own journey, the same one that you're on now." He said, "At thirteen it was a rite of passage to go on your journey to find a partner."

"But mother!" Gaiihl groaned, "There's so much that needs to be done here at home!"

The young boy furrowed his brow over his hazel colored eyes, tinged with only a bit of red. His hair was somewhat long and unkept, giving him a wild look in comparison to the woman standing on the temple steps in front of him. She was beautiful, as if a painter had defined her contours with such grace of his ink that she leapt from the page to life. Gaiihl had inherited her dark tan skin and strength of resolve; she was a very proud woman and always stood tall.

"There are rumors of dissent in the far reaches of the desert," he insisted, "What if something happens and I'm not here to fight?" He pulled the strap on his white cotton trousers tight; many of the menfolk in the village didn't wear shirts. "I'm officially a citizen here! It's my duty!"

"But without a powerful partner…" His mother pointed out, opening the doors to the temple and adorning the headdress on a pedestal near the entrance as was her job as the priestess. "What help could you hope to have against monsters twice your size with maws of fire and fists of earth?"

He sighed, trying to think of an answer as she circled the inside of the room, lighting the traditional candles and smearing the dark purple paint over her face, like a large handprint. A bright red chain on her wrist glowed brightly and the previously glowing candles from the middle of the ceiling drifted down by her side.

"Chandeluuuure." It responded, the same chain wrapped around the crown-like protrusion from the top of its head. The Chandelure's yellow eyes flared and the golden candlelight suddenly turned a bright blue and lavender.

"But mother…" Gaiihl pleaded, "What if it only takes me? What if one more spear is what it takes to drive them back?"

Gaiihl's mother sighed and turned to him, tears flowed down her cheeks clearing away thin lines of the paint and revealing the Unown N tattooed below her left eye. She bent down onto her knees and kissed his forehead.

"My son, if that is what you are worried about, I will be sure that every soldier puts in as much extra effort that it will seem as if there are forty of you fighting by our sides." She said, "But your fears are unfounded. These are only rumors now, and your journey still lies ahead of you."

She walked around the temple, letting her hand brush the walls, her long cotton dress trailing along behind her and kicking up the ashes from ceremonial fires that glittered as the light of the purple fires glinted off of the particles.

"Hundreds of years ago our ancestors once lived across the sea in a faraway land that is now lost to us. Then, we were a cold, uncaring people as dull as rock and unmotivated by any thought or feeling."

Her eyes seemed to look past the words and images carved on the walls that told their people's history, channeling the spirits of the past and gaining their knowledge of times long gone.

"There were three then, three great bodies of water that anchored the land, and there lived the three Legends. They heard our people, and knew the desperation of our unfeeling natures and gifted us with knowledge, emotion, and willpower. Yet we knew not how to use these gifts, as while we had knowledge we were still foolish creatures without wisdom. The three Guardians saw this, and knew how pitiful we were compared to the other monsters that roamed the land. They came to the first Priestess and combined their powers, granting her great wisdom and a bright red chain. This chain, when used correctly, would bind a human to their monster through their spirit and friendship. The monster would protect the human, and the human would protect the monster. And together they learned to live."

She turned as she reached the last panel, now standing at the back of the temple near an ornate wooden box. Gaiihl stood at the entrance, intimidated by the distance between them.

"Come forth, my son." She said, opening the box and taking the red chain in her delicate hands. "Receive your bracelet and the harness that you will use to capture the heart of your monster."

"…and that night I took a Rapidash from the stables and went off to travel Unova." Gaiihl recalled, looking deep into the golden mask. "And you didn't just befriend any Pokemon. It honored the family if your soul was strong enough and similar enough to capture a large, powerful Pokemon. It reflected on you and the rest of your family if your heart was the same as a Hydreigon's or maybe an Emboar's. And so, I returned two years later only to find that my village had been burned to the ground…" He sniffed and wiped his eyes, "My family was gone, and I was forced to work as a stonecutter for the new royal family."

Kenzie looked back at him, having been preparing the tent as the sun grew lower. She pounded the last peg into the ground and walked over to him, offering a hug which he took gratefully.

"I never h-had time to t-think about i-it." He admitted, pressing his face into her neck. "It was a-all just w-work and t-trying to s-survive. And a-as a servant when t-the new k-king died that all o-of us w-were entombed with him."

Kenzie looked horrified and held the Yamask close, letting him finally mourn for the family he'd lost and for his own life. Who would be so horrible as to do such a thing? She could only imagine what it would be like if she left home and came back to find everything…gone.

"We all knew it was a-a betrayal though." He sniffed, wiping his eyes and drawing back his emotions. "The king was young and healthy, but all of the servants knew inside that his brother had killed him for t-the throne."

Gaiihl scowled, "They were the Spin Family, and each had a spiral under their eye. The king's brother, Sethikhamun, was a horrible man; he gave the order for entombment."

"I'm sorry that happened to you." She said, not entirely sure what she could do to comfort him. "You didn't deserve that at all. I don't know how someone could do that to you."

Gaiihl looked at his mask before setting it back onto his tail and looking up to her.

"It's okay…" He said, pulling away from the hug. "Besides, I'm okay now….or at least mostly." He smirked, looking over his strange new arms. "I got a second chance."

"And you deserve it." Kenzie agreed, nodding so hard that her blond and blue hair flipped up in a flurry.

Gaiihl laughed and helped her readjust it as she grinned out from under the hair that covered her face. What his mother said was true, even though they hadn't been bound by a red chain; his new partner and he were definitely bound by something that made them care for one another.

Kenzie grinned at him, the mirthful silence broken by a loud rumble from both of their stomachs that sent them both into laughter again.

"Come on." Kenzie said, "I think I saw a berry bush over this way when I was gathering firewood, I'm not going to make you eat Pokemon food if I don't have to."

He nodded and floated along after her through the trail, tugging his scarf closely around his self as a breeze passed through and rattled the leaves on the trees and a gaggle of Pidove shot into the air, crying out and chattering to each other though it was too far to make out their conversations. Kenzie held her hat close to her head as a low hanging branch attempted to remove it, the trees creaking from the autumn wind as she spotted the bright yellow berries of a Sitrus bush.

"Come on, over this way." She said, kneeling over by the bush and opening a soft, cloth berry pouch.

He tentatively took a fruit from the bush and bit into it, the juices dribbling out the sides of his mouth. He wiped his face hurriedly, somewhat embarrassed, before taking another bite.

"These are delicious!" He said, finishing it off and going to grab another.

"Come on, we'll have time to eat them later." She insisted, "It's getting dark, we should gather some and then get back to the tent and make a fire before nightfall."

"I have time for one more." He argued, giving her a sly grin before plucking a particularly plump berry from the bottom of the plant.

She rolled her eyes at him and grinned, lifting him up by an arm to hover near her height as they made their way back to the camp site. Gaiihl lit the fire with his will-o-wisp, watching as Kenzie started to prepare her own food over top of it, extracting foods and a pot from the Supply Balls in her bag. He listened to the stew simmer over the fire, seated on her knee as the sun set in the distance, leaving the fire to cast shadows throughout the forest clearing.

"It's weird, you know…" Kenzie said, pulling the stew from the fire and filling up a bowl for herself. "It's kind of spooky, camping out here like this away from home. But it's comforting at the same time."

"Mhm…" Gaiihl agreed, swallowing his bite of berry. "I know the feeling."


	7. Chapter 7

A shaft of sunlight made its way through the flap in the tent and as the morning waned the thin line traveled across the pillow and right into the eyes of the trainer whose head was resting there.

"Nooo…" She groaned, rolling onto her stomach and pulling the pillow over her head.

"Gaach!" Gaiihl choked, finding that the shoulder he'd been sleeping on was now on top of him. "Crushing, crushing! You're crushing me!"

Kenzie gave a grumble in reply and lifted her shoulder just enough for him to claw his way out and collapse on the sleeping bag before having to reach back under to pry his mask out.

"Warn a man next time you do that." He huffed, polishing the mask with an elbow.

"Soorrryy…" She yawned, face still under the pillow, "The sun… it's _evil_."

"Huh?" He turned his gaze to the front of the tent and lifted the flap more to look out into the clearing.

Wisps of smoke slowly rose from the ashes of the fire that had warmed them the last night and a small breeze crawled along the forest floor, flipping over a few crunchy leaves and sending others tumbling head over heels into the unknown as they wove through the large wooden trunks. He floated out of the tent and pressed his hand against the cool grass, drawing it back when he felt the cold wet dew against his palm. The trailing fabric of his scarf whipped up around him as he turned his gaze to the sky, such a wonderful day to be alive.

"Come on." He said, making his way back into the tent and shoving the girl. "It's nearly eight, we need to move."

"Fine." She grumbled, sitting up and letting the pillow flop to the side.

Gaiihl's hands shot to his mouth as he tried to hold in his laughter. "Y-you look like…pffft, you look like a Sandslash."

"Wha-?" She reached up and felt her hair, only to find it pointing out at every angle possibly known to man or Pokemon.

She pulled her bag over to her and sorted through the supply balls, looking for her mirror. Once she found it and looked inside though, she couldn't help but to laugh as well. Her golden and blue locks made it look as if she were hugging a Static Mareep all night.

"Okay, okay…" She said, brushing it out and putting it in a short ponytail. "You've had your fun now get out so I can change."

"Yeah, _no one_ wants to see that."

"Hey!"

Kenzie threw a pillow at him as he dodged and flew from the tent, looking back into through the entrance and grinning right before being crushed by the bag that went flying his way.

"Pervert." She laughed, zipping up the front of the tent.

"I was joking." He smirked, trying to pull himself out from under the backpack. For something made lighter by so many Supply Balls, it was still pretty heavy.

Soon Kenzie emerged from the tent in a new brownish sweater and a peacoat of nearly the same shade. She had her own black scarf around her neck tucked into the coat and her dull green hat seated on her head. She grinned and picked the bag off of the Yamask who had decided to just wait for help to arrive, and slung it over her back before pointing the Supply Ball at the tent. A light blue beam of energy shot out and enveloped the object before drawing the energy back inside.

"Can you put this in the bag for me?" She asked, tossing him the ball. "So, last night you said you went on your Pokemon journey, right? Did you ever get one?"

"Of course I did. That's why it took me two years." He said, unzipping the bag and dropping the ball inside. "I traveled all across Unova looking for my partner and I found him after those years of searching."

"Arceus! Oh please, someone help meee!" He shouted, feet pounding against the desert sand and arms windmilling right before he was Headbutted over a sand dune and sent rolling down the hill and into a grassy oasis.

"Darmaaaani!" The Darmanitan screeched, two others following as they approached the young man with his back flat on the ground.

"Rapidash!" He shouted, "Rapidash, help!"

He gulped, feeling fear rise in his throat as the brutish group of Pokemon gnashed their teeth as they approached. He'd been ambushed and knocked from the Rapidash who had galloped off across the desert without him when these strange monsters suddenly attacked. He swore that they were stone statues a moment before, but those angry eyes boring into him definitely weren't stone.

"My, my." Came a sing song voice from somewhere in the trees that made all of them look up. "You've gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble, haven't you human?"

"Who said that?!" He asked, back against the tree as he scrambled to his feet.

"Wandering into Darmanitan territory? That's almost as _stupid _as wrestling a Krookodile!"

"Okaaay, I get it." He said, putting on a desperate smile and talking through his teeth, "I'm an idiot, okay? Help? Please?"

He tried to get a grip on the tree behind him and suddenly scrambled up the trunk as far as he could go, which was barely out of the reach of those red fiery monsters. He looked up, shaking his shaggy black hair from his eyes, attempting to climb further only to find his nose pressed against that of a dark purple-gray fox.

"Hi!" It said, poofy tail wagging slightly.

"Gaah!" He screamed, nearly losing his grip on the tree. "You talk! Y-you're a monster and you talk!"

"Well duh." It said, giving a mischievous giggle. "I'm a Zorua."

"A-a what? Are y-aaah!" He jerked his leg up, feeling one of the raging Darmanitan beneath brush up against him.

"Hold on a second." Zorua said, "I'll take care of this."

The stealthy little fox jumped down a little ways away from the three Darmanitan. They turned their gaze to it, deadly quiet as they decided it would be easier to attack than the human they had treed. Suddenly they all let out a cry and converged on the Zorua who, wearing a smirk, jumped into the air and flipped as a purple light surrounded it. The Darmanitan's snarling cries suddenly turned to whimpers as a large shadow loomed over them, one let out a yip and turned tail, scrambling back into the desert.

"Your friend is smart." The Zorua, now Hydreigon growled, snorting in the lead Darmanitan's face.

The two Darmanitan looked to each other, as if trying to decide whether they could take down the massive Pokemon or not before they nearly fell on their faces as the dragon's roar made them jump out of their fur. The Zorua giggled as it transformed back to normal, watching the retreating Pokemon kicking up dust as they ran back to the desert. The Zorua looked up into the tree as Gaiihl clung to the trunk, eyes wide as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

"Well?" It asked, wagging its tail. "Are you coming?"

"Of course not!" He shouted back, "Don't act like I didn't see that! You're just luring me in to eat me or something!"

"Or something is right." It smirked, "You're looking for a monster, right? I've met a lot of humans that look like you. I know where you can find one."

He squinted at the Zorua, having no brow to furrow as his people ritually shaved them.

"I'm not looking for just _any _monster." He sniffed, sliding back to the ground and giving the fox a wary look.

"I know that." It yawned, climbing onto his shoulder. "You humans are very picky about who you choose as your partner."

"Of course, we're stuck with them for life." He said, crossing his arms disapprovingly.

"I'm surprised you haven't tried to get that harness on me yet." Zorua said, poking his nose with a paw.

He waved the fox's paw from his face, "Honestly, I'm not sure if I _want_ to."

"You know, I think I like you." The Zorua said, "Trust me, I know exactly what kind of monster you need."

"…You didn't…" Kenzie said, giving the Yamask a look as if he were crazy.

"I did." He winced inwardly just remembering it.

"You stole an egg from a _Haxorus_?! That's like asking for a death wish!" She said, shoes padding along the dirt path that was slowly turning to gravel the closer they got to Accumula.

"It all worked out in the end." He said dismissively, waving his hand as he perched on her shoulder. "True, my feet weren't quite the same after so much running but I made it out. And that darn Zorua kept hounding me no matter where I went. Though I have to say… it wasn't so bad. It got me into trouble nearly every day, but it helped me out just as much, like it was making up for it." He shook his head. "Anyway, the egg hatched and I used the chain to bond myself to the Axew inside and by the time our journey back to my village was finished, Khepesh was a fully grown Haxorus."

"Hey, maybe you can help me train one then." She said, grinning. "We can add one to our team when we get the chance."

He scowled. "I am not replacing Khepesh!"

"I didn't say that we were replacing him…" She said softly, "Haxorus usually make powerful team members, I've kind of always wanted one… and they're easier to train than Hydreigon…"

They walked in silence for a while, the forest clearing out wider and soon the town was visible in the distance, a city of stone and staircases.

"I'm sorry I snapped." Gaiihl apologized, "I just… miss him is all. He wasn't sealed in with me, I had him escape before they dragged me in or they would have taken him too."

"I understand." Kenzie said, looking over to the ghost.

Gaiihl turned his eyes to the ground for a moment before looking back up at her and smacking the bill of her hat playfully. "Come on. Let's get to that town."


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks so much for everyone reading my story so far, I'd like to get a little reader feedback, I love writing just as much as I love Fan pandering. Want to see something happen? Like certain things? Dislike it? I'm open for feedback and opinions, please leave a review or comment!**

"…Wow…" Kenzie said, quieting her voice as they walked into Accumula, the dark shape floating by her side. "What happened here? The town looks like it's deserted…"

"You mean it's not normally this quiet?" Asked Gaiihl.

Kenzie shook her head, a small pit rising in her stomach. No cars drove along the streets, the usually bustling crowds of people coming to the markets were absent, even the Pidove looked as if they were avoiding the labarynthian town.

"Shh… listen…" Kenzie said, pausing in her tracks. "I hear something."

"I do too…" The Yamask responded, floating higher to get a look. "I think there's a crowd of people over in that direction."

"That's where the park is." Kenzie confirmed, "I don't know why so many people would be over there though… there aren't any holidays or events coming up for a while."

"Maybe we should just skip through town and keep going?" He half asked, half hoped.

"What? No way." She said, straightening her glasses. "Come on, let's go figure out what's happening."

Kenzie waved her hand at him to follow as she wandered off towards the park, her footsteps echoing around the many staircases that led to upper portions of the town. Once she got to the park, however, she would see where everyone had gone. It looked as if the entire town had gathered into one large crowd at the edge of the park, and all of them were incredibly silent as they listened to a green haired man on a small, portable stage in front of them. On either side of him were large banners with a logo that resembled a "P" and a "Z" and beside those were strangely dressed individuals that were dressed in what looked like a strange set of armor.

"-Pokémon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokémon?" The green haired man's eyes rolled over the crowd and settled on the two new arrivals, an icy sheen passing them for a split second. "That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokémon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokémon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention."

And with those final words the two individuals next to him rolled up the banners and collapsed the small stage before strolling out of sight.

"What was that supposed to mean?!" Asked Gaiihl furiously, "Pokemon are different than humans?! Sure, I might not look the same, but I'm just as human as he is!"

"I'm not quite sure that's what he meant, Gaiihl…" Kenzie said, still feeling the judging gaze that settled on her. "He was talking about freeing our Pokemon or something, because it's bad for them to be in Pokeballs… at least, that's what he thinks."

"Well I'm not going anywhere." Gaiihl assured, resting on her shoulder and curling his tail around her arm. "Besides, even in my time Pokemon and humans worked together, there's no way that something so bad could last for thousands of years, right?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile, weakened by the sudden mutterings of the crowd around her as the trainers and citizens were suddenly confronted by their own inner conflicts. I'm not hurting my Pokemon by keeping it here am I? Maybe we shouldn't battle so much… Am I making my partners resentful by keeping them here?

"Hey, snap out of it Kenzie." Gaiihl said, waving his hand in front of her face. "Don't listen to him, he's got his own opinion, we have ours."

"Right." She conceded, walking away from the crowd and letting their chatter fade from earshot. "Come on, I think it's time I introduce you to modern food."

"…It's….safe to eat… right?" Gaiihl asked, floating in the seat opposite her and crinkling the wrapper underneath the fast-food hamburger sitting in front of him.

"Of course it's safe to eat, otherwise they wouldn't sell it." She said mouth partially full of fries. "Fast food isn't the healthiest option, but until we can earn more money by battling I'd rather save what we have for potions and other supplies we're really going to need."

"What is it made out of?" He asked, lifting the bun and tearing off a small piece to sniff.

"Well, that's bread, then there're some vegetables on it, cheese too, and then the other part is hamburger." She answered, pointing to the different parts. "It's all good."

"Hamburger?" He asked, suspiciously, pressing the bun back onto the burger and smushing it slightly.

"It's made from cow." She said, "Nowadays you can only really find them on farms, they're bred to eat. They aren't smart like Pokemon."

"Oh, I remember cows." He said, reassured about the food in front of him. "My people raised those as well."

"Then go ahead and try it instead of playing with your food." She encouraged, trying to levitate a fry to her mouth and failing miserably as it flew past her and hit the back of another patron's head. She quickly ducked down out of sight to avoid the customer's confused glare.

"So what was that?" Gaiihl asked, munching into his food. "Are you a Priestess?"

"A what?" Kenzie asked, dipping a piece of chicken into a small tub of mustard. "No, I'm a psychic."

"Then that's the same as a Priestess, right?" He asked, "My mother was one, she could commune with spirits and move things without touching them."

"Kind of I guess." She shrugged, "There are actually a lot of trainers who are psychics, but most of them hang out around Celestial tower to the northwest of Unova. They can talk to Pokemon too." She explained, "It's usually a trait that's passed down through families, my great grandmother was a psychic too. The really good ones can do all sorts of tricks with levitation and stuff."

She sat back in her seat and shook her empty cup of ice around.

"I'm not as good as they are though, you kind of go one way or another. Awesome levitaty mind reading stuff, or sensing Pokemon and talking with them."

"Ma'am?" A waitress interrupted, walking to the table. "I'm going to have to ask you to put your Pokemon in its ball, restaurant policy."

"What?!" Gaiihl cried, narrowing his eyes. "That's not fair! I'm not doing anything wrong!"

The waitress jumped, nearly dropping her tray at the sudden outburst from the Pokemon.

"He's right." She said, looking to the waitress, "He's a Yamask, he used to be human once, he should be allowed out like everyone else."

"I'm sorry, but he has to leave." She huffed, "Some customers may have Ghost Allergies, and unless you can show me that he's been vaccinated for Spirit Rot then you have to leave. You're also unsettling the other customers with your….talking."

"Humph." Kenzie growled, taking her food outside of the shop and heading off towards a bench out of view of the restaurant. "That's a stupid policy. Ghost Allergies…bah, no one has those anymore since they found a vaccination. She's just biased."

Gaiihl frowned, floating along silently after her. Sure, he wasn't unacquainted with being considered as a second-class citizen, he was a servant once, but after being treated so well since then? That was a rude awakening. He perched himself on the back of the bench, absentmindedly watching Kenzie as she glowered at the rest of her meal as she ate it.

"You….you understand what he was talking about… don't you?"

The voice was so close that Gaiihl and Kenzie nearly shot out of their skins. Kenzie whirled around to find her nose nearly inches from another. She shrieked and flung out her hand, smacking the boy there across the face and causing him to stumble back into the bushes that he had come from.

"You could have just said 'no'!" He replied to the smack angrily.

"You could mind starting a conversation like a normal person!" She accused, hand at her chest. "You scared me to death!"

The young man stumbled from behind the bench and pulled a few leaves and twigs from his voluminous light green hair as he shoved his hat back onto his head and stumbled towards her.

"I asked you if you understood what he was talking about." He said, approaching quickly, "You know what he was saying, Pokemon liberation must happen! It-"

"Hey! Back off!" Gaiihl said defensively, coming between his Trainer and the green-haired boy that obviously had no concept of personal space.

The green haired stranger gave a surprised look at the small Yamask, eyes wide as he looked from the girl and back to the ghost, breath labored as if he'd been running. Without missing a beat he drew a Pokeball from his belt.

"Let me hear your Pokemon speak! I have to hear what he says!" He cried, gaining a few strange looks from the passersby.

The Purrloin was out of the ball and hurling itself towards Gaiihl before he knew it.

"Use Scratch my friend!" He shouted, clenching the empty Pokeball in his hand.

Gaiihl whipped the mask from his tail and held it in front of him to glance off the attacking claws. "You're going to have to do better than that!" Gaiihl cried, "Normal type moves don't have any effect!"

The stranger's face sank, it was obvious now that the Purrloin didn't know anything besides normal type moves. He was a fish out of water when he'd hoped to catch them by surprise.

"Gaiihl, use Energyball!" Kenzie ordered.

"One step ahead of you!" He shouted back, a green aura swirling around his free hand and solidifying into a pulsating orb of energy.

Gaiihl hurled the attack forward and hit the Purrloin straight on. The stranger gave an odd choking noise as the Purrloin was sent tumbling backwards into the cobblestone street. The purple cat Pokemon gave a pitiful mewl and staggered to its paws, fur bristling and readying itself for another attack.

"I've got this Kenzie! We're going to win thi-" Gaiihl started to reassure her but was stopped short.

"No! No more! I submit!" The stranger begged, rushing forwards and collapsing to his knees as he drew the injured Pokemon to his chest. "I-I never expected to…to hear such things from another Pokemon!"

"T-to hear…such things?" Gaiihl questioned aloud, letting the green aura that he was about to gather evaporate into the air, giving it a shimmery quality.

"Yes." He said, looking towards the Yamask. "But…no, I'm sure of it! As long as Pokémon are confined in Poké Balls... Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon, because they're my friends." He dug around in his pocket and tossed the prize money on the ground before hurrying off, the Purrloin clutched tightly to his chest, towards the nearest Pokemon center.

"H-hey! Wait!" Gaiihl cried, half distracted by trying to catch the prize money before the wind carried it off. "You can understand me…." He looked to the road and picked up the last scrap of paper money before tugging his scarf tightly around him, the trail ends whipping around in the cold Autumn breeze.

"What…what was that?" She asked, taking the money from the ghost as he floated up to hover at her height.

"I d-don't know." Gaiihl said, shivering from the cold. "He could hear me though, he knew what I was saying."

"Maybe, but…he seems a bit…"

"Crazy?"

"I was going to put it lightly and say 'odd', but that works too." Kenzie said, casting him a glance. "Come on, let's finish our food…probably cold now, but it's what we have. Then we can go and get rooms at the Pokemon center if that weird boy isn't there waiting for us."

Gaiihl felt the warm air wash over him gratefully as they entered the Pokemon Center. It was a large building and full of trainers who were both starting out on their journeys, or more experienced battlers who were simply on their way home for a visit.

"Wow…" Gaiihl said, "I've never seen some of these Pokemon before."

"Then heads up Newbie." Came the gruff yet hearty voice of an Arcanine, curled up around his trainer who was leaning against him while playing some sort of handheld videogame. "You're going to see a lot more of us." He gave a chuckle.

Gaiihl gulped, dwarfed by the orange Pokemon's eminsity as Kenzie continued to the front desk to arrange a healing session for him and to see if there were any rooms available.

"Calm down small fry, I won't bite." He said, resting his head on his massive paws. "I've seen a lot of your kind before, are you from the ruins to the far north or a bit closer to the northwest?"

"N-n-northwest." He squeaked before clearing his throat.

"Ah! So you're from those newly uncovered ruins arent'cha?" He gave a good natured rumble. "Well, welcome back to the world of the living my friend, not what you might expect as an individual but it's better than being worm food, right? You've got a lot of neat things waiting for you kiddo, I'm from way across the sea, from Kanto. You fight hard, you might get to see it one day, you and your trainer." He nodded up to the counter. "Looks like she's waitin' on you." He looked left and right before leaning in, "I saw another one of you Yamask today… I don't know much about human history, but I know this, the other one of you is bad news kiddo. He's from the same place as you, sleep with one eye open."

"O-oh!" He started. "Thanks, er… n-nice talking to you?"

"Not a problem small fry." He yawned, rolling his eyes as a pair of playful petilil tried to climb up his back and away from their trainer who was chasing them.

"You meet a new friend?" Kenzie asked, grinning as she held out his Pokeball.

"You know… I have no idea." He said, pressing his palm to the button and allowing himself to be sucked inside, a foreboding feeling gnawing at the back of his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for reading so far everyone! I've got over two hundred views, not counting the ones on DeviantArt! Thanks so much for coming this far with me and sticking with my story. There's so much more to come, the first gym hasn't even been beaten yet, but Gaiihl and I are on our way! And as always ****_Comments are appreciated. I work much harder on a piece when I know that people are depending on me to make their day a little bit brighter. ;) _**

The night air was a cool relief for the Trainer and Pokemon curled up in their bunks at a room in the Pokemon Center. It slithered through the small crack that the girl, now sleeping, had opened. It brought with it a rustling of the curtains and the brisk smell of crunchy leaves and a scent that the Yamask lying in the top bunk couldn't quite recognize beyond the fact that it was nostalgic and both mildly comfortable and exhilarating at the same time.

"Hey, Kenzie, are you awake?" He whispered, leaning over the side of the bed to look at the splayed mass of hair that peeked out from under the blankets.

No response other than a quiet snore. Gaiihl sighed silently, tugging the large scarf over his body and casting his gaze through the window. The past couple weeks had seemed like a dream, like one of those day dreams as a child when one would imagine going off on a seemingly impossible adventure, one of those day dreams so real that it swelled your chest with excitement and made your skin tingle up until the point you were called in from the desert sands to go home. His mind rolled with silent thoughts as his brain wracked itself the further the night grew, half awake-half asleep he was jolted when he realized that some of his thoughts weren't quite thoughts.

"Your father is going to be very disappointed."

"I…I know he is… but I couldn't-" Said the familiar voice as it drifted through the window.

"We fight for a greater cause our friend, sacrifices must be made."

"Purrloin didn't stand a chance though, none of its moves would have hit anyway."

Gaiihl drifted from the top bunk of the bed, scarf messily wrapped around him to stave off the cold, and peeked from the window to find the strange boy from earlier sitting on a bench, barely illuminated by the light illuminating the sign for the Pokemon center. Standing, or rather, floating across from him was a kind of Pokemon he'd never seen before. It gleamed with the light of the reflecting gold that covered it and four shadowy arms seemed to materialize from its sides, rippling lightly in the autumn air.

"We must not show weakness, N," said the Pokemon, "If we are perceived as weak in our cause, then all others will believe that we are weak."

Gaiihl leaned closer to the glass, what exactly were they talking about? What cause? And where did that Pokemon come from…why did it sound so familiar?

"We allowed ourselves to assist your father in his ambitions because we perceived him as worthy-"

Wait a moment…was he using the royal 'we'?

"-if we had seen him as weak, we would not have bothered. We are strong, we have achieved much in our lifetime and now we seek to achieve greatness from our new one. For that, we require someone such as him and his own greatness and influence." The Pokemon pointed to N, "He has given you that influence, thus, I depend on you. Do not be weak N, if you wish to fight for your 'friends' then they must make sacrifices as well. Come, you must capture a new Pokemon after the release of your Purrloin."

The sight that Gaiihl saw then chilled him to the bone, the Pokemon had turned around, revealing a dark face with bright red eyes, much like his own, except the mouth was filled with large, needle sharp, gnashing teeth. For a split second, his eyes met the others and a shock ran down his back that was so unbelievably cold, unbelievably dark….

Like death.

He'd never moved so fast in his life, or even his new un-life, as he frantically shut the window and sank to the floor with his hands over his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He felt his heart pounding and his hearing had sharpened out of panic, soon he heard them again, fainter, quieter, but he could hear them.

"What was that?" N asked, hearing the slam of the window.

"We believe we saw another Pokemon." It said, "A Yamask…"

"Someone you knew?" N asked, casting his gaze over to the Pokemon Center.

"Possibly. It is of no concern to us now, we are returning to your father." It said, though its voice held a faint nuance of interest.

"I'll… remember what you said. Farewell Cofagrigus." N said, standing and putting his hands in his pockets.

The Cofagrigus rolled his eyes and turned his gaze back to N. "We have a name."

"Right, sorry, force of habit." N said, a bit of a smile playing at his face, it was obvious that he enjoyed annoying the Pokemon. "Seth."

"_Sethikhamun." _He corrected, a hint of anger leaking into his voice.

"Yes, well, congratulations on your evolution. Goodbye."

Gaiihl closed his eyes tight, he thought he was done with it, that the Pharaoh had gone on to rest _permanently_ yet that didn't seem to be the case. He knew as soon as he saw the spiral under the Cofagrigus' eye who he was, though he hoped he'd seen wrong. Even moreso, he must have been a Yamask at one point, was that horrifying form that he saw waiting for him as well? Would he turn into one of those monsters? Tentatively he floated back up to look out the window and found the area empty. He shivered and made his way to the door to make sure it was locked before he hovered back to bed, part of him wondering that if he was the Yamask that the Arcanine had warned him about. He shook his head, trying to clear it of thoughts with the hope that he would fall asleep and awake to find that it was all just a bad dream.

"Hey, Gaiihl, wake up." Kenzie said softly, nudging him gently. "Early start today, we've got a straight shot to Striaton City where our first gym is waiting for us."

Gaiihl sighed and waved his hand at her to prove that he was awake before wrapping his scarf around himself and floating down to follow her. As he rounded the door to their room to enter the hallway he cast a glance back to the window and found it closed. Despite that, he felt a chill run through him, he hadn't dreamt the last night.

"You haven't touched your food." Kenzie said, sitting across from him at a table in the Pokemon Center as she placed a tip on the table for the workers there. "I think this place is way better than that other restaurant." She continued, "The food is all home cooked, the Centers really know how to take care of a Trainer and their Pokemon."

"Mmm.." Gaiihl hummed in response, looking right through the bowl of soup in front of him that the cook had made special for him as a Yamask.

The Petilil from the day before came running past to their trainer, a girl much younger than Kenzie, sitting at a table across the room. Gaiihl jumped slightly as they ran behind him and tackled each other. Kenzie gave him a worried glance, brushing her bed-head from her eyes and straightening her glasses.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked, pushing her finished plate aside. "You're awfully jumpy, you're not getting sick are you? Because this is the place to get it dealt with."

"Oh, no... I'm not sick." Gaiihl assured, picking up the spoon and finally starting to eat his soup though it had gone cold. "I was just thinking about something, it's not important."

"It's obviously important enough that you're actually worried about it." She pointed out.

He sighed and wiped his face. "I saw a Cofagrigus earlier this morning from the window."

Kenzie's face lit up. "Oh! I love Cofagrigus!" She said, "They're the evolved form of Yamask, really powerful and really hard to find, hard to feed too since they like eating gold as much as Pokemon food. They're really cool looking aren't they?"

"I was thinking quite the opposite." He muttered, "They're…scary. I'm not sure if I want to do this travelling thing anymore if…that's what I'm working towards becoming."

"You're worried about evolving into a Cofagrigus?" Kenzie asked.

"You don't have to worry about that." The trainer and his Arcanine from the day before made their way over to their table. "Sorry, I overheard your conversation, or at least, your half." He joked to Kenzie. "Yamask can't evolve into Cofagrigus all the time. So far the only Yamask that have evolved into Cofagrigus were royalty in their past lives, so unless you were a Pharaoh or closely related to one then I doubt you'll be able to."

"See?" Kenzie said, looking back to the Yamask. "You've got nothing to worry about."

He nodded, the pit still in his stomach. "R-right."

"Anyway-" The trainer added in, "I heard you talking, you're a psychic right?"

"That'd be my title, yes." She grinned, kicking her feet lazily under the table. "You need my help?"

"Yeah, my Arcanine isn't eating the food I bought for him." He said, "I don't want to make the Pokemon Center make so much food for one big Pokemon. The nurse said that he was healthy but I just want to make sure."

The Arcanine stepped forward and nodded towards Gaiihl, "'Morning small fry."

"'Morning." He replied, continuing to eat his soup.

"So what's the problem with the food your trainer is giving you?" She asked, nearly bursting out laughing at his reply.

"So, what's wrong?" Asked the Trainer, "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's okay, but the food isn't." She replied, amused. "He says it tastes bad."

The Arcanine nudged her with a paw, urging her to go forward.

"To quote him, it tastes like your socks smell."

Gaiihl choked slightly on his soup and laughed, having to wipe his mouth. The Trainer's expression didn't change much, but his face turned a slight shade of pink.

"Oh, well I'm glad there isn't anything wrong with him." He said, trying to sound relieved. "Come on Blaise, let's see if the cook can make you something better."

The Arcanine nodded gratefully and followed the trainer back to the kitchen, leaving the two to finish their breakfast.


	10. Chapter 10

**I have only one thing to say. Itwassofunwritingthischapter asdfghjkl 3 Thanks for reading so far! There's much more to come!**

"Wow…" Kenzie breathed, walking through the gates to Striaton. "That walk was a lot shorter than our one to Accumula. I think the paved road helps a lot."

"So you said that there was a gym here? What exactly is a gym?" Gaiihl asked, floating along next to her.

"A gym is where the Gym Leader works." She explained, "Gym Leaders are extremely strong Trainers with strong Pokemon. If we beat the Gym Leader then we get a badge and that lets us go on to the next city with permission to battle. If we don't get it, then we won't be able to continue our journey."

"Heeeey! Kenzie! Wait up!"

Kenzie turned around and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding being run down by Bianca.

"I…wanted…to… know… if you…wanted to battle." She panted, trying to catch her breath. "I've been… trying to…catch up to you…and Cheren all morning."

Kenzie looked to Gaiihl and scratched the back of her head. "What do you say, are you up to a battle?"

"I suppose so." Gaiihl said, somewhat tentative. "We could use the training for the gym."

"That's the spirit." Kenzie grinned and turned to Bianca. "Let's get the battle started then, you know, one you catch your breath."

"T-thanks." Bianca panted, taking a few moments to herself. "Alright, I'm ready! Let's go my little pup!"

Bianca tossed the Pokeball and in a burst of red light a Lillipup appeared, shook its fur, and gave a growl.

"Use Odor Sleuth!" Bianca ordered.

The Lillipup obeyed and darted forward faster than Gaiihl could dodge and it sniffed in a circle around Gaiihl before barking and retreating back to his previous position.

"Er…what exactly was that supposed to do?" He asked, confused.

"I'm not sure." Kenzie said, "Come on, use Will-o-Wisp!"

He nodded and gathered the blue flames in his palm, zooming forward and circling the Lillipup who did his best to dodge, weaving around Gaiihl's throws before one of them finally hit, giving the Pokemon a light burn.

"Alright! Now use Tackle!" Bianca said, looking determined as she urged the Pokemon forward.

Gaiihl simply floated there, looking somewhat smug as the Lillipup ran at him with full force. He knew by now that all normal and fighting type attacks were useless against him. However, he felt the wind knocked out of him as he suddenly found himself on his back against the pavement.

"Sorry!" Bianca said, "But I found my way around your ghost type advantage! Odor Sleuth lets my little Laddie use normal type moves!"

"I figured." Gaiihl grunted.

"Use Energyball!" Kenzie shouted, "You can do it!"

Gaiihl pushed himself off from the ground and drew the green aura from the air before hurtling it in the Lillipup's direction. It tried to dodge but found that the burn was more irritating that he'd planned, causing him to trip and take the blow, the green aura bursting as it hit his side.

"You're pretty good at this." The Lillipup said, "For someone who used to be human."

"And you're pretty good at this for being a Lillipup." He laughed, giving back the little dig the Pokemon had taken at him.

The Lillipup growled good naturedly and surged forward with another tackle at Bianca's order, though the burn was taking its toll. Gaiihl hovered high out of the Lillipup's reach and attempted to throw another Energyball, but he missed as well.

"Come on Laddie! One more tackle!" Bianca cheered.

He nodded in response and darted forward to try to catch Gaiihl as he floated back down into reach and collided with him, sending them both flying into the dirt where a small cloud of dust was kicked up. Gaiihl coughed and waved his arms around, trying to clear it and found the Lillipup lying near by.

"You..win this round." It coughed, wincing from the burn and stumbling to its feet, limping back to Bianca. "I'll get you next time, you better train!" It called back with a little laugh as Bianca picked it up, treated it with a potion, and drew him back into his Pokeball.

"Hmph." Bianca said, a small smile on her face. "You fought great little one. Now it's Ottumn's turn! Let's go!" She cried, tossing her final Pokeball onto the field.

"Battle!" Ottumn shouted, landing on all fours from his Pokeball and wiggling his rump. "Oh, you better watch it Gaiihl! I'm going to win this time!"

"You wish!" He laughed, hearing Kenzie's command and generating the blue flames for Will-o-Wisp again. "I've taken on bigger Pokemon than you when I was still human!"

"Just 'cause they're bigger doesn't mean they're strong!" The Oshawott pointed out, jumping out of the way of the flames as they flew his way.

Gaiihl continued to hurl the blue flames until one finally hit the Oshawott and he was forced to jump back out of the way as Ottumn darted forward and nearly crashed into him.

"Come on Gaiihl! Use Energyball! One super effective move and he's out!" Kenzie said, wiggling her shoulders from excitement.

Gaiihl nodded and drew the energy in, the sparkling green aura condensing in his hand and he zoomed forward just as Ottumn charged in for one more tackle. Both moves hit, sending Ottumn flying back in a burst of sparkling green light as Gaiihl was sent sprawling into the dirt, head spinning. That last blow had taken a lot out of him and he struggled to push himself up, weakened from the fight. Kenzie dashed forward and picked him up.

"Gaiihl! Gaiihl, are you alright?" She asked, holding his limp form.

"I…I think I'll be o-okay…" He groaned, "J-just give me a m-minute…"

"Ottumn! Little darlin' are you okay?" Bianca dashed forward to her Pokemon as well and drew him back into his pokeball.

"Do you want to just call this a draw Bianca?" Kenzie asked, taking a potion from her bag and spraying it on Gaiihl's wounds.

"I think that'd be fair." She said, nodding. "Ottumn's okay, just a little winded. Is your Yamask alright?"

"Y-yamasssk." I-I'll be fine.

"Yeah, he's going to be okay." She looked to Bianca, "You surprised us with that Odor Sleuth."

"Yeah, well I figured I had to find some way to give you two a run for your money." She said, helping Kenzie to her feet. "Come on, we gotta get our little ones to a Pokemon Center."

Kenzie nodded, letting Gaiihl rest in her arms as he draped them over her neck, slowly feeling his aches fade under the effects of the potion.

"I-I'm sorry…" He said quietly, "I didn't w-win…"

"Hey, it's alright." Kenzie said reassuringly, weaving her way through the crowd in front of them. "You fought hard, and we can't win every battle. The best part is having fun."

He nodded weakly, looking around as they entered the new Pokemon center. Here there were many Pokemon that seemed more native to the area. Purrloin and Lillipup, Patrat and a few Watchog, but mostly trainers with either a Snivy, Oshawott, or Tepig and the majority of them seemed to be there for the same reason they were, to heal their Pokemon. Soon Kenzie drew Gaiihl into his Pokeball, handing the green and black Dusk ball over to the nurse to have him healed.

"Excuse me." She said, "But why exactly are all of these trainers here?"

"Oh, just competitors trying to beat the gym." The nurse replied, looking at Gaiihl's vitals on a small screen. "They're pretty tough even for the first gym you have to beat. Striaton is infamous for the Connoisseur brothers."

"The Connoisseur brothers?" Kenzie asked, gratefully taking back Gaiihl in his Pokeball.

The nurse nodded. "The three brothers are the Gym Leaders. You'll have to battle one of them to continue on to Nacrene. Though I suggest you go to the Trainer School first to brush up on your status ailments, I get quite a few Pokemon coming in here from burns from the gym and light poisoning from the Venipede north of here."

Kenzie nodded, "Thanks for the tip, we'll head over there right now."

"So…" Said Gaiihl, popping from his Pokeball and floating alongside her, brushing the dirt from his scarf. "What does that mean for us? We'll have to take days to train in order to beat them."

"Well…" Said Kenzie, scratching the back of her head. "Sometimes that's what it takes. Or we could go and try to find a new team member to train with us. You were able to take out both of Bianca's Pokemon, if we had another team mate we would have won. The Trainer with the last Pokemon standing wins."

"So…what?" Asked Gaiihl, giving her a look, "Are we going to wander around in the tall grass and interview every Pokemon that jumps out at us?"

"Sounds like a lot of trouble to go through to me." Came a voice, a voice that was almost hauntingly familiar.

"Gaiihl…was that you?" Kenzie asked, turning around.

Gaiihl gulped, already staring at the person who spoke. Standing in front of him with a cheeky grin was….. _him._ Completely human, he looked exactly as if he belonged in that time, tall and fit with his long black hair neatly groomed and pulled into a ponytail, the ends of which brightened into an unnatural neon blue. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his puffy dark gray coat, the hood lined with fur that stuck out at his shoulders. He scuffed his bright blue shoes on the ground and raised an eyebrow.

Kenzie looked between the two Gaiihls, holding up a finger and opening and closing her mouth like a Magikarp, looking like she was trying to say something but couldn't quite spit it out.

"_Wow._" Said the human Gaiihl, bending down slightly to get in eye level with the Yamask. "You certainly look like you've seen better days. In fact, I _know _you've seen better days."

"W-wha…h-how is this possible?!" He asked, "T-this…but… _I'm me! _Not you!"

"That's obvious." He smirked, turning his gaze to Kenzie and waggling his eyebrows. "Hey there~"

She immediately paused and stopped trying to talk before her face turned into a scowl, glaring at the boy in front of her before giving the same look to the Pokemon. "Control yourself before I control you for you."

"Is that a threat dollface?" The human Gaiihl, asked, leaning against the doorway to the Trainer school.

She gave him a blank look and he grinned, though soon realized his mistake as she started to roll up her sleeves. He quickly tried to backpedal, the Yamask looking on in horrified embarrassment because of his suave doppelgänger, and failed due to the wall that he was leaning against.

"C-can we talk about this for a se-" He was cut off though, as Kenzie socked him in the jaw.

It wasn't a very hard hit; in fact, it almost felt as if she were punching a cloud. In an instant he was on the ground and with a bright blue flash of light the doppelgänger Gaiihl wasn't there anymore and instead a small foxy Pokemon rolled back onto its feet, giving them the same cheeky grin that he'd given them before, giggling madly.

"You!" Gaiihl cried, zooming down and brandishing his fists, "What's the big idea? Wha-… How are you even here?!"

"I've got friends in high places." Zorua responded, snickering. "I never forget a friend. I decided to come for a visit."

"Hold on a second…" Kenzie said, scanning the Zorua with her Pokedex, "This is the same Zorua you met before when you were alive? But that's impossible! That was thousands of years ago! Zorua can't live that long!"

"You're right." Said the Zorua, scratching behind his ears with a hind leg. "I haven't lived a thousand years."

"But…that doesn't make sense." She said, "You can't have been here, and there, unless you were…._ancient._"

"But that's not the problem!" Gaiihl pointed out, "I never gave you permission to turn into me!"

"It was just a little prank." The Zorua responded, flicking his ears at him, "Besides, I like turning into my human friends. You're fun too, you're _really_ popular in a couple hundred years thanks to me."

"A couple hundred years…?" Gaiihl asked, trying to make sense of it.

"Hey!" Came a voice. "It's a shiny Zorua!"

"What? Where?!"

"It's got no trainer I.D tagged to it!" A trainer from the crowd pointed out, scanning it with his Pokedex.

"It's mine!"

"No, it's mine! I want the shiny!"

"Shiny Pokemon?! Where?"

"Uh-oh…" Said Zorua, backing up from the encroaching crowd. The light blue fur a dead giveaway as most regular Zorua had red. "A little help down here?!"

Suddenly a strange shining aura surrounded the crowd, some of them with Pokeballs at the ready. Despite it being Fall the flowers and bulbs in the window boxes bloomed and the dry, yellowed grass perked up and became green again as a light green Pokemon swooped down, circling around the buildings and weaving through the crowd.

"Wait… is that?!"

"It's Celebii!"

"A Legendary Pokemon and a Shiny in one place?!"

"Forget the shiny, I'm going to catch Celebii!"

"I heard it could travel through time!"

"What?! I want that one!"

The crowd seemed to be at an impasse looking back and forth between the Zorua and the Legendary Celebii before they made a unanimous decision and dashed after the flying Legendary as it led them out the gates of the town, a literal stampede towards the exit. Zorua quickly dashed behind a nearby wall and another bright blue flash later, another man was standing in its place. Slightly older looking than Gaiihl had been, with lightly tanned skin. He wore the same clothes that he had when he had transformed into Gaiihl and kept the ponytail, though it was longer and very well-kept. The mature look, strong jawline, and the small triangle of hair below his lip though, was still ruined by the childish grin on his face.

"That was a close one." He said, walking back over to the two. "You ruined my illusion when you hit me."

"I wouldn't have hit you if you behaved yourself." She said, crossing her arms.

"What can I say? Messing with humans is my favorite past time."

"Oh. I know that." Gaiihl said, scowling and crossing his arms similarly to Kenzie.

"But I get it now." She said, "You're friends with Celebii aren't you? You travel all around Unova through time with him."

"Bingo." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets again. "Right on the dime as your kind says. It's been a few years since I saw Gaiihl last. Not many trainers decide to let me stick around without trying to catch me."

"I didn't want you to stick around even though I didn't _try_." Gaiihl huffed.

"But it gets tiring being chased all over the world by trainers when all they want to do is catch you instead of trying to be your friend." Zorua said, "So I told Celebii to just pick a time in the future for me to drop in and annoy him, I didn't know we'd be this far in the future though. This is around the actual time that I'm supposed to be living, give or take ten years."

"Yeah, well, this is my future." Gaiihl responded haughtily. "After you left on my trip back home.."

"You died…" Zorua finished for him, rubbing the back of his neck, "Yeesh…sorry. I would have stuck around if I knew that was going to happen. I was expecting to show up in the Castle to find you on the throne having servants feed your grapes or however they show royalty in movies these days. Maybe with a beard, or a mustache, though I doubt you could pull it off…."

"Why would he be on the throne?" Kenzie asked, giving Gaiihl a concerned glance, "You said you were a servant, was your family planning a takeover?"

Gaiihl and Zorua spared each other a glance before Zorua nonchalantly put his arm around Kenzie and pinched her nose.

"It was a joke~ That's what makes it funny. A servant being royalty? Pffft, come on, they taught you how caste systems worked in school right? When you're born into it, you don't get out of it."

"Right." Gaiihl said, nodding.

"…If you don't get your hands off of me I _will_ punch you again." Kenzie muttered.

"…Right." Zorua said, quickly crossing his hands behind his back. "_So_ as you were saying earlier, you were looking for a new team mate, correct?"

"Do you know where to find another Pokemon?" Gaiihl asked, "Like how you helped me find my Haxorus?"

"Kind of." Zorua said, a mischievous grin coming across his face. "_I _want to be your team mate."

"Oh… no…nononono." Gaiihl said, waving his arms. "Nuh-_uh_. We'll find someone else, thanks."

"Besides…" Kenzie said, "Didn't you say you didn't want to be captured by trainers?"

"I did say that." He said, tapping his chin, "But not _any_ trainer. Any friend of Gaiihl's is a friend of mine, right buddy?

"No."

"See? That settles it!" He said, clapping and rubbing his hands together, casting his gaze to the sky as Celebii flew overhead and waved down at him. Zorua gave a salute, "I think I'll be sticking here old friend!"

"Are you sure about that?!" Yelled Celebii down to him, "What about our trip to Humilau?!"

"I'll see you there in a few years!" He called up, "I figured I'd give you a break from keeping me out of trouble!"

"Good!" Celebii laughed, "I need it! Good luck, you think you found the right Trainer?!"

"I know so!"

"Alright! See you in a few minutes!"

"To you maybe!" Zorua laughed, watching the crowd approach.

Celebii gave a wave and circled in the air, the bright grass and flowers making the air shine as Celebii drew energy from the nature around it, a swirling vortex appearing in the sky above Striaton that burst out in all directions and evaporated as Celebii shot through it and into the future.

"Well." Said Zorua, "That settles that. So, what kind of fancy Pokeball do you have for me? An Ultra Ball? No, no wait, a Luxury Ball?"

"Er… I only just started my journey. I can't afford stuff like that." She said, bringing out a Pokeball. "All I have is this…"

"…That'll work~" He said, nodding and taking it from her hand, tossing it straight up in the air.

"Hold on a second!" She said, "I didn't agree to catchi-"

But it was too late, Zorua let the illusion fade and bounced the Pokeball on his furry head as it zoomed back down and he shot into the Pokeball. It wiggled a few times and closed with a click and a light smack as Gaiihl face-palmed. As soon as it clicked the Zorua shot back out again, shaking his fur and taking the Pokeball in his mouth to hand to her.

"So. I was thinking of making a new name for myself." He said, struggling to climb up her back and drape himself over her head. "I was thinking of something _fierce_, something _gladiatorial_ that'll make the other Pokemon tremble in their furs….something liiiikkkeee… Marcurio."

**_Want to see art from this chapter? Check out this link Deviantart PoU-Chapter-10-Illustration-347099004 (No spaces)_  
**

**Yes, I shamelessly named my Shiny Zorua Marcurio after my favorite Skyrim follower. 8I Don't judge me. **

**Also, this scene originally happens in Castelia City with the special Pokemon Event Celebii from Gamestop when the game first came out, I moved it up simply because I couldn't wait to introduce Marcurio. And to you readers with the games, the team I build in this fiction is exactly the same team I built in my game, right down to the moves and their Natures/Personalities. If you don't care for spoilers and want to see how you measure up, I'm always up for a battle with Gaiihl, Marcurio, and the rest of the gang you haven't met yet! Want to arrange a wi-fi battle? Find me on as Autobotgirl on Deviant Art and send me your friend code. 8)**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'd just like to continue thanking the readers that have continued to follow my story and the new readers who are still hopping on the bandwagon! Today I turned 18 and though I got a lot of awesome gifts, some of the best ones have been the wishes from my friends who are readers and random readers as well! Thank you all so much!**

"Hey Cheren." Said Kenzie, walking through the door of the Trainer school with a very grumpy Gaiihl trailing behind. "Figures I'd find you here."

"Oh! Hey, I was wondering when you'd show up." He said, turning away from the blackboard. "Smugly and I managed to get here yesterday after we split up, found a shortcut through the woods. I… is that a shiny Zorua on your head?"

"It's a long story." She said, picking up Marcurio and setting him down on a nearby table.

"Hey!" He complained, "I was just getting comfy."

Cheren's eyes widened, "Did that Pokemon just talk or are you contagious?"

"I talk." Marcurio responded, jumping down from the table and trotting up to look at the board. "Nearly all Zorua have Telepathy."

"Lucky…" Gaihhl muttered, scowling.

"So what are you doing here?" Asked Cheren, taking off his glasses and cleaning them off with the front of his shirt.

"Just brushing up on my status ailments before we head over to the gym." She said. "We're going to test the boundaries and see how we fare before we decide how hard we have to train."

"You and Gaiihl?" He asked.

"Well, me, Gaiihl, and Marcurio." She said, motioning to the Zorua.

"Wait…you caught him?" He asked, scanning him with his Pokedex to receive the shiny information. "You get the best of luck! How on earth did you find a Shiny Zorua here in this area? You can hardly even find them in the wild as it is!" He said, a bit jealous.

"It's a long story." She said, rubbing the back of her head. "And he kind of invited himself onto the team…"

"Gaiihl is a very good acquaintance of mine from his previous life." He said, jumping up onto a desk and sending papers scattering. "Oops, my bad."

Gaiihl looked to Cheren and shook his head, he was certainly _not_ an acquaintance.

"But that's impossible." Cheren said, running his hand through his hair. "That was-"

"-Thousands of years ago, we know." Kenzie said, "It's a long story. Apparently he knows a Celebii and he just jumps to whatever time holds his fancy."

"Precisely." Said Marcurio, "I thought it was about time I settled down in a time for a little while and took on the League Challenge myself."

"Why would you want to do that?" Asked Cheren, confused, "You could have gone to any time you wanted! Future…past…. All of it!"

"Mmm…." He stayed silent for a moment before jumping and transforming into the previous form of the ponytailed man. "Let's just say that I saw the right signs. Now…" He turned around, revealing a bushy tail beneath his jacket and spun Kenzie on her heels, pushing her towards the exit. "Enough dilly-dallying, we've got a gym to beat."

"But…the status ailme-"

"No worries, I've got them all." He said

"Hey! Hold on a second!" Cheren said, trotting forward and grabbing Marcurio's tail.

In an instant the illusion was broken and he turned back into a Zorua again.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" He asked, shaking his fur. "You don't grab a Pokemon's tail! Didn't your mother teach you that?"

"S-sorry." He said, clearing his throat and bringing out a Pokeball. "I was wondering if you wanted to have a little practice battle to warm up."

Kenzie looked to Gaiihl and he nodded. There was no way he was going to lose this one after their last defeat (even though it was technically a draw) and he certainly wasn't going to let that little annoyance win it for them.

Cheren nodded, "Alright, then we can battle right here. It is a trainer's school after all, I think there's an area down the hall made for school battle tournaments."

Kenzie followed after him, waving the two Pokemon on behind her as they entered the hall and followed the signs on the walls to the recreation area where a large gymnasium was. She observed the lines on the floor, it looked as if it was used for any manner of sport including basketball, soccer, tennis, and because of the marked Pokeball in the center of the room, battling as well.

"Alright you two." She said, walking over to their end of the arena. "There's a few rules when it comes to battling in an arena instead of out in the open." She waved Gaiihl over, "See those lines that turn this big area into a rectangle? If you fall out of those lines it's an automatic knockout, even if you're perfectly healthy, they're called foul lines. So basically, the only thing different is that you can't use the entire area for your advantage. There's also a list of banned moves too, but those are for things like EarthQuake, Hyperbeam, Draco Meteor, and all of those other moves that can cause massive damage to the area." She shrugged. "But we don't have to worry about that."

"Hey!" Cheren called over, a Pokeball in hand, "Are you ready?!"

"Yeah! Let's get this started!" She waved to Marcurio. "Ready to battle?"

"You know it." He said, leaning up to whisper into her ear the moves he knew before bright blue paws trotting quietly across the gym floor in a moment of calm before the battle started.

"Hey, why not me?" Gaiihl asked, watching Marcurio widen his stance, standing on one side of the Pokeball painted onto the floor of the room. "I can do this!"

"I know, but I don't want you getting hurt so soon again after your last battle." She said, "I promise you can battle his next Pokemon, alright? I can see he's got one on his belt and one in his hand. Besides, we need to know if we can depend on Marcurio or not."

"Well…" Said Gaiihl, watching as Cheren threw his first Pokeball and sent out a Purrloin, "If there's one good thing I have to say about him… he's dependable."

"Alright, here you go Khepesh." Gaiihl said, both sheltered in the wooden ruins of an old hut that was half buried in the desert. "Eat up."

The baby Axew looked up at him, eyes bright, nearly as bright as the red chain that acted as his harness before it crawled forwards and started munching on the few berries that lay on a small leather square. Gaiihl's stomach grumbled and he looked towards the little monster, yet it didn't seem to have noticed as it chowed down on an Oran Berry. He delved into his leather pack, looking for anything that might sustain him, but, just as the day before, there was nothing. Gaiihl laid down in the sand, staring into the heart of the fire that he'd managed to bring to life, the light visible in the desert even from the far off dunes in the distance, a lone star in the black of night. He felt weak, and incredibly tired, he didn't even care about the sand that was sticking to the side of his face and making his hair feel gritty, all that he seemed to feel was a sense of dread as the hungry pit in his stomach pained him to no end.

Soon, his belly full of what little food they had, Khepesh waddled over to him and curled up under the crook of his neck. He patted the creature's hide lazily, he hadn't been prepared for how much the small Pokemon would eat, and days when they did have a lot of food it ate almost as much as he did. If there was one thing he was grateful for it was that his partner was well and that they at least had plenty of water. He didn't know when he felt his eyes close, but the dancing flames made their way into his dreams and he hardly noticed when he'd awoken again later in the night to a nose being jabbed in his side.

"W-what is it?" He mumbled, opening his eyes, "What is it Khepesh?"

"Nife gueff bu' nu."

Gaiihl turned over and wiped the sand from his face with a hand, finding the Zorua standing just inside the entrance to the crude wooden hut, a strange shape in his mouth. He trotted forward, despite the look on the boy's face that said he obviously wasn't wanted…that was until the monster dropped the leather bag in front of him and a bountiful harvest of fruits, berries, nuts, and three fresh rabbits kills poured out in front of him.

"That's a little thank you for letting me steal your food three days ago." The monster said, fluffy tail wagging back and forth in the sand. "I think I've more than repaid my debt, I've added interest too."

His amber eyes widened as he looked to the little fox and to the food before he picked up the limp rabbits, running his thumbs over the fur.

"Quickly, look around and if you can find a few sticks for roasting." He said, standing and leaving Khepesh sleeping in a small mound of sand as he left the hut to skin the animals.

Zorua nodded and nose around in the sand, digging around with his paws until he found a large wooden board and bit off a few large, spear-like splinters. The Zorua with the light blue fur had accused him of drooling at one point as the smell of smoking rabbit and walnuts filled the hut, and more than once the fox and Khepesh had to chase off curious Darumaka and Sandile who had the intent of stealing their feast. The three of them ate well that night, and there was still a month's journey ahead of him before he made it back home.

"So." Yawned Zorua, patting down a patch of sand and curling up in it, "What are you going to do once you get home? What have you got waiting for you?"

"Me?" Asked Gaiihl, actually happy with the full feeling in his stomach as he lied on his back and stared up at the stars. "I'm a prince, I've got a palace full of people back home waiting to pamper me." He laughed.

"You're bluffing." The Zorua accused, rolling onto his back as well.

"Nope. My mother is the priestess, my father is the Pharaoh. He rules all of Unova." He said, eyes tracing constellations. He debated on pointing them out to the monster but decided not, why would he be interested in human legends based on stars? "And it's my duty to serve the people. When my father is too busy I go and help my citizens solve their problems, I work, and I fight with them, just like anyone else. I just get the perks of going home each night to a castle. We're still not finished working on the eastern wing."

"Sounds too cushy to me." Zorua answered, "Where's the adventure? What's the point?"

"Well, that's why I'm here now with Khepesh." He said, "We all have to go on a journey of some sort in our lives, right? Like you, what are you doing?"

"I've got places to be, times to go-"

"You mean 'places to be, things to do' right?"

"Whatever." Said the Zorua, a knowing smirk on its face. "And I'm looking for someone. A girl."

Gaiihl nearly snorted with laughter. "A girl? Looking to settle down?"

Zorua laughed as well, "No, no, not that kind of girl. She's a human, like you, but I remember these big bright gray blue eyes. She's my partner, I have to find her, but it's not going to be until a long, long time from now."

"Well, good luck with that." Gaiihl said sincerely, "You two will have to come find me once you find her. I can tell her the story about the thieving fox that nearly made me starve to death~"

"Alright Marc!" She said, "Use Snarl!"

The Zorua's eyes gleamed brightly once the battle started and he cried out, a rasping animalistic snarl that exploded outwards in a surge of dark energy that engulfed the Purrloin.

"Shake it off Sebastian!" Cheren said, "Use Assist!"

The Purrloin growled and its own eyes darkened as it summoned forth a cloud of shadow that gathered at his back, two long, snaking vines whipping forth from the shadow and towards Marcurio. The Zorua dodged left and right, jumping this way and that to avoid the Vinewhip.

"You're going to have to be better than that if you want to catch me." He taunted, darting forward when he heard Kenzie's command.

Marcurio leapt at the Purrloin and lashed out at it with his paws, scratching into his fur and causing it to yowl before it returned the favor with some scratches of its own. Sebastian bounced back on his hindquarters and put some distance between the two before charging forwards again, claws unsheathed however, Marcurio took him by surprise, ducking below the swiping claws and raking his back paws against the cat Pokemon's belly in Fury Swipes. The Purrloin's legs were too short to jump away and off of the fox and was only released when the Zorua kicked him away. Sebastian took the blow and turned it into a purposeful roll, eyes darkening again as it charged in a headlong tackle, bashing its head into Marcurio's and making the fox stumble, ears ringing. Sebastian retreated quickly, wanting to stay out of range from the Zorua's claws, yet this was the worst choice of action it could have taken. Marcurio shook his head, clearing his ears of the ringing and charged swiftly after the Purrloin in Pursuit. The purple Pokemon made a mad dash around the gymnasium, desperately trying to outpace the Pokemon on its tail.

"Sebastian, return!" Cheren ordered, bringing out the Pokeball and clicking the button in the front.

Purrloin skidded to a stop, letting its guard down, and tried to run towards the red beam of light that shot from the orb just as Marcurio slammed into his side, sending him skidding across the polished floor, out cold. Cheren sighed and clicked the Pokeball again, drawing Sebastian back into his Pokeball. He patted the white and red ball, setting it back to place in his belt.

"Good try Sebastian. Alright, your turn Smugly!" He said, tossing the second Pokeball out into the arena.

"Alright Gaiihl, your turn!"

He nodded and zoomed onto the field, Marcurio trotting past and looking happy with himself, jumping up and tapping the front of the Pokeball with his light blue paw and letting himself be sucked inside. Out in the middle of the floor Gaiihl and Smugly faced each other down, waiting for one or the other to make a move and to listen to the other trainer's orders.

"Vine whip, Smugly!" Cried Cheren.

"Dodge and use Will-o-Wisp!"

Gaiihl had been preparing for a Vine Whip anyway, especially after their first battle back in Kenzie's house. The strange thought that they had been there only two days ago distracted him, making him miss his chance to throw the Will-o-Wisp and causing him to take a glance from Smugly's vines as they zipped towards him again. He threw the ball of spirit-like flames the second time just as his ability kicked in, causing the strange wrappings to materialize from the aura surrounding his body that snaked up the Snivy's vines and bound him loosely in the material.

Smugly ran towards the Ghost, trying to close the distance in order to gain some range for his Vine Whip attack, but the Yamask wouldn't allow it. For every run that Smugly made at him he countered with putting even more distance between them as he charged up his Hex, stopping in mid-air and waiting for Smugly to catch up with him. He threw the ball of dark energy at the oncoming Pokemon who was grazed by the energy as it flew past, causing him to stumble and fall forward the vines hitting the ground on either side of Gaiihl as the Yamask floated up and over him as he was getting back to his stubby feet, throwing one more Hex seemed to do the trick, knocking Smugly down for the count. Gaiihl took a deep breath, happy that he was able to get back into the swing of things just as he felt something painful lash into his sides, sending him to the ground. He coughed in surprise and looked up to see that he was just barely inside the lines to the stadium, one more hit and he'd cross them.

"You've lost this one!" Smugly cried, charging forward, the wrappings trailing behind him as he lifted his vines.

Gaiihl's eyes widened and he dropped his mask to the floor, bringing his tail up to catch the vines as they descended on him and tugged hard, floating over the line and dragging the Snivy with him.

"Automatic knockouts." Kenzie said, looking down at the red and white Pokeball at her belt. "And Marcurio is still standing."

"So that means you're the winner." Cheren said, watching the two Pokemon argue over the lines.

"You cheated!" Smugly accused whilst tearing the wrappings off of him.

"I did not!" Gaiihl defended, "I used the area around me to win my battle, not just pure brute force!"

Smugly glared before his gaze drifted over to the discarded mask on the floor, the serene face gazing up from the golden surface. Gaiihl looked at him in shock, suddenly feeling the missing weight of the mask on his tail.

"Don't you dare." He warned.

It was too late, however, as smugly scrambled forward and took the golden mask in his little arms.

"No! Give that back!" Gaiihl cried, chasing after him.

"No! I won this battle fair and square. If your trainer won't give him the prize money then a chunk of solid gold will do even better!"

Gaiihl let out a cry of terror, for some reason, being separated from that mask frightened him more than anything. It wasn't just one of his last reminders of being human, it held the last remainders of his humanity. As the Snivy ran out of reach with his mask, both of the trainers yelling at the Pokemon to stop, Gaiihl felt a surge of carnal energy unlike any other, he would do anything to get that mask back, no matter the consequences. But, before he could unleash his fury a bright red flash lit up, a laser streaking from the Pokeball on Kenzie's waist and across the room. Suddenly, the grass type's path was blocked by a huge, menacing shape that cast a shadow on the dwarfed Pokemon. Smugly dropped the mask almost instantly when he bumped into the large scaly form before him, the Snivy paused with wide eyes and a slack jaw when the Hydreigon opened its maw and let loose an arena shaking roar. With a shriek the green Pokemon scrambled to his trainer and hid behind his legs just as a flash of blue light enveloped the massive dragon and left the Zorua in its wake. The fox quickly picked up the mask and trotted over to Gaiihl and dropped it into his hands.

The Yamask was shaking slightly, tears streaming down his face as he looked from the mask to Marcurio.

"You don't have to say anything." The Zorua said.

Gaiihl nodded weakly before feeling his energy fade slightly, drifting towards the ground as if he were human and his knees had given way. Marcurio shot forward and caught him in time, draping the Pokemon's arm around him and helping him to float over to Kenzie who was running over on her own, drawing the two into their Pokeballs when she was sure they were okay.

"It looks like we're going to have to put off the gym battle until tomorrow." Kenzie said, "I've got to get them to a Pokemon Center."

"Right." Cheren nodded, drawing Smugly back into his Pokeball. "We're going back to our room there as well. I need to have a talking with a certain Pokemon." He looked up to her, "I'm sorry. I just don't know what got into him, he's usually very good at listening. I just need to be a better trainer I suppose. Here, this is yours." He handed over the prize money, "See if you can use it to get Gaiihl and Marcurio something nice, they deserve it after this."

Kenzie hesitantly took the money from Cheren before he exited the arena, the obvious red tint of anger on his face. She followed after him, dashing into the Pokemon center for another healing session, afterwards Gaiihl was unusually quiet all through lunch and dinner. Once in their room, Kenzie climbed onto the top bunk of the bed with him, watching him stare at the ceiling.

"Are you going to be okay?" She asked, gently lying her hand on top of his.

He looked down, musing on the size difference of their hands. He was so small now compared to before, he hadn't realized it until he'd seen Marcurio transform into him.

"I'm okay now." He said, "At least, mostly. I'm just…what's the word you have for it? Thinking about old times…."

"Nostalgic?"

He nodded, looking out the window. "Thanks…Kenzie."

"For what?" She asked, somewhat perplexed.

He shook his head, "I don't know really, but thanks. Where'd Marcurio go?"

"He said something about climbing onto the roof to look at the stars. I think he misses his friend, Celebii." She said, climbing down from the bed to find her pajamas. "Why? Thinking about joining him? I though he annoyed you."

"He does." He replied, floating over to the window and opening it, letting the trails of his scarf dance behind him in the wind. "But he's still my friend."

She nodded and watched him float out of the window and upwards out of sight as he rose to the roof and found the Zorua lying on his back, transformed once again into him. He wasn't sure if he found it flattering or creepy just yet and was half tempted to pull his tail and make him stop, but resisted the urge.

"You know." Said Gaiihl, causing Marcurio to turn his head and look back at him, "My people used to tell stories from the stars."

"Yeah?" Asked Marcurio, turning his gaze back up to the sky. "Like what?"

"Well…" Said Gaiihl, thinking as he dusted off a patch of the roof and laid down on his back as well, "There's one pattern up there, see it? That's the Sawsbuck, my father used to tell me stories many years ago about him, he was clever and prideful, but you'd never find a more loyal Pokemon among the stars, so one day Sawsbuck…"

The stories continued on deep into the night, and it was only the next morning that Gaiihl awoke and found himself in his bed, no longer on the roof, and the Shiny Zorua asleep on the floor, curled up in the carpet next to the ladder to the bunk, snoring softly.


	12. Chapter 12

"This doesn't look like much of a Gym to me." Gaiihl said, "It looks more like a restaurant."

"That's because it is a restaurant." Kenzie said, weaving around tables with deep red tablecloths and trying not to disturb the patrons. "More like a tea house, I was talking to some of the other trainers last night, there's one brother Chili, that heats the water for the tea to the perfect temperature, the other brother, Cress, finds the best water, and Cilan finds the best tea leaves."

"Sounds like a whole lot of trouble to make a cup of tea." Marc said, walking through with his preferred form of the ponytailed man and snatching a roll off of the tray of a passing waitress before shoving it in his mouth.

Kenzie made her way up to a little window where the servers were grabbing the food from and ringed the small silver chingling-shaped bell seated there.

"Excuse me, could I see the chefs?" Asked Kenzie, "I'm here to challenge the gym."

"Alright! They'll be right out!" Came a voice, "You'll have to give them a moment to prepare. Name please?"

"Kenzie, I can wait." She said.

Though it was apparent that they wouldn't have to wait long at all as what Kenzie thought was a large red curtain covering a wall was drawn, revealing an entire new section of the room as the patrons broke out in applause and excitement as a large platform rumbled as it rose from the ground. The lights in the room dimmed before three large spotlights lit up the arena that looked like they had taken a portion of a mountain and slapped it right in the middle of Striation, rocks, dirt, and all.

_**"Ladies and Gentlemen!" **_Came a booming voice over a microphone, **_"Welcome to the Striation Gym! We've got a show to put on today, introducing a new Challenger ready to take the Trio Badge on to Nacrene and beyond! Kenzie! Come on up!"_**

Kenzie quickly put her hand in front of her eyes as the spotlight shifted to her and she waded her way through the tables and the din of applause and shouts, her two Pokemon following along as she made her way up the stairs and onto the arena. Pumping music filled the room and she could feel the base boom through her ribs. She looked out, feeling self-conscious as the massive crowd of diners looked on. If she knew she was going to be battling on stage then she would have worn something nicer than her Derpy Hooves jacket.

**_"And now, the leaders of the Striaton Gym! The terrific trio, the best chefs, and the hosts with the most! CRESS, CHILI, AND CILAN!"_**

The crowd below them roared with applause, becoming a roiling wave of people clapping and yelling encouragement to both the trainer and the Gym Leaders. Kenzie spun as gigantic jumbo-trons lit up around them, showing her shocked face and the leaders that were climbing up the stairs before her. In front of them was a young man who looked barely older than her, wearing a serving uniform and sporting bright green, neatly smoothed back hair. Two others followed in the same uniform, one with spiked, firey red hair and the other with deep blue dreadlocks. Once on the arena they stood side by side, the brother with the green hair in front of him.

"Welcome Kenzie! My name is Cilan!" He said, giving a bow. "And these are my brothers, Chili and Cress. One of us will battle you today, but that all depends on your starter Pokemon. Could you tell me who you chose as your partner?"

"Oh! Yes, this is Gaiihl." She said, coaxing him out in front of her. "He's a Yamask."

Suddenly the music stopped and she looked around. Utter. Silence.

"Er…" Said Cilan, staring at the Yamask before quickly turning around, pulling his brothers into a huddle. "What do we do?! That's a ghost type!"

"They usually have a Snivy, Tepig, or Oshawott!" Whispered Chili.

"I told you we should have prepared for this!" Cress scolded.

Their voices became quieter before Cilan stood and cleared his throat, a gray haired man trotting up on stage. Cilan whispered something to him and he nodded, first handing Kenzie a Fresh Water before retreating off stage and back to the announcing booth and the music started up again.

**_"Well we've got an interesting challenge here today folks! We've got a Ghost Type starter on the field! Let's just see how our home town heroes deal with this new development!"_**

The crowd lit up again and roared with laughter as the three brothers turned in a circle and started playing rock, paper, scissors. First Chili stood and waved to the crowd before stepping down from the stage and retreating back to the kitchen, then only the two brothers were left. After a few more matches Cress raised both of his hands in defeat turning to the crowd before following Chili back into the kitchen.

**_"It looks like we've decided on a Battler everyone! Cilan versus the Challenger, Kenzie! Please, return to the trainer squares and send out your first Pokemon and let the battle commence!" _**

****Kenzie nodded and pointed to Marcurio, who shrugged and walked onto the middle of the field, hands in his pockets amidst a chorus of confused noises and booing. Even Cilan looked confused, looking back at the announcer box.

**_"Has this battle turned into some sort of comedy act? I don't know, but Kenzie, you can't use another person to fight your own battles!" _**

****The crowd erupted with laughter as Marcurio looked around, smirking before turning to face them all.

"Another _person_?!" He winked and smoothed back his hair. "Oh ladies, you only _wish_."

And in a bright flash of blue light he became a Darmanitan, in another, he was a Scizor, a Gallade, a Hydreigon! The crowd was eating this up, just as many cheers as there were cries of shock and awe and finally there was the biggest flash of light and standing there in the middle of the field he'd turned back into a Zorua and let out a loud few yips that his species was known for before once again winking to the crowd ad flicking his tail.

**_"That's no person! That's a Zorua! Kenzie has sent out a Zorua onto the field of battle! Known as the tricky fox Pokemon, they can set up an illusion to become nearly anyone or anything! I did not see that coming folks! And hold on! That's not just any Zorua, that's a Shiny!"_**

****"That's right!" Said Marcurio, running around the arena and showing off for the crowd.

"Marc!" Kenzie scolded, "Come on, we've got a battle to win, not a crowd to please!"

"Who says that winning won't please them?" He smirked, taking his place back at their side of the Pokeball painted into the dirt, rump in the air and stance wide, just waiting for an attack.

"Now that's something I haven't seen before!" Cilan laughed, "Keep it up and you'll bring us in more customers! Alright, let's go Charles!"

Cilan threw out his first Pokeball and a Lillipup appeared from the bright red laser, staring down the Zorua .

"Don't be expecting me to go easy on you lass." It said, a smirk playing on its face.

"_Lass?! _Oh, it's on fur-face. Let's just see what you've got." Marcurio barked, fluffy tail waving in the air.

**_"Trainers! Orders ready! And go!"_**

"Marcurio, use scratch!"

"Charles, Work Up!"

Marcurio darted forwards, a dark gray and blue blur as he lashed his paw out at the Lillipup who was surrounded in a red and orange aura. Charles barked in protest but stood his ground, taking the blow from the Zorua's claws. Marcurio's ear twitched, angling to better hear the commands from his trainer over the crowd as he ran forward to let loose his Fury Swipes, the aura only growing bigger and more intense around the opponent's Lillipup.

"That isn't good." Gaiihl said, floating up to Kenzie's shoulder, "That Lillipup is building up attack power! Anymore and Marcurio might get knocked out of the battle in one hit."

"It hasn't used Odor Sleuth yet." She said, "Though it probably knows it. Pursuit, Marc!"

Gaiihl looked on, watching the Zorua chase after the Lillipup who was steadily becoming weaker, though the aura now resembled a raging fire.

"Switch me in." He said, looking to Kenzie.

"Not yet."

"Switch me!"

"No! Wait!" She ordered, taking the Pokeballs from her belt and holding his out to the Yamask. "Get in and get ready to use an Energyball."

Gaiihl nodded and became engulfed in the red light that pulled him into the black and green ball. Kenzie aimed the other one, following Marcurio's path as he ran and hit the Lillipup.

"Charles! Use Tackle now!"

Marcurio quickly turned tail and ran, dodging between boulders and spires of rock, yet the Lillipup continued to gain on the Zorua, nose almost at the tip of the fluffy tail that trailed behind him.

**_"Uh oh! This looks like it's over for this Zorua's battle! Just look at him run with that firey Lillipup right on his tail!"_**

Mere seconds before the Lillipup surged forwards for the final blow, Marcurio disappeared in a flash of red and taking his place was the Yamask. Gaiihl flung the Energyball just as the Lillipup jumped forward and was unable to stop himself. Charles flew through the burst of energy and the dark gray Pokemon, the red aura fading as it Tackled headfirst into the boulder right behind him and slumped to the ground, out cold. Cilan nodded to Kenzie approvingly as he drew Charles back into his Pokeball amidst the rousing cheers of the diners seated at their tables below.

**_"Did you see that folks?! A strategic switch out and knockout by Kenzie's Yamask! Yamask is known as the Spirit Pokemon, and believe it or not that Ghost type powerhouse used to be human just like me or you! The Ancient citizens of Unova, after the discovery of Yamask the Nacrene Gym and Museum have employed their help in deciphering the missing pages of our history! Though some of them like the one here today decide to take the Challenge and go face to face with other Pokemon, talk about bravery!"_**

****Gaiihl waved to the crowd and tightened his scarf around him, waiting for the reveal of his next opponent as he made his way to the other side of the Pokeball on the floor. Cilan tossed the red and white orb into the air where it popped open and shot out a Pansage onto the field.

"Alright Chamo! Use Lick and then Work Up!"

Gaiihl was caught off guard. Lick? What kind of attack was tha-

_Eeeeeewwwwww…_ Moaned the crowd.

The green monkey leapt forward and ran its tongue right over the side of Gaiihl's face, causing him to flinch and quickly wipe it off with his scarf as the same red aura that surrounded the Lillipup began to glow slightly around the Pansage.

"Eyuck!" Gaiihl spat, glaring at Chamo.

Chamo snickered and let out a few monkey-like cries as it jumped from rock to rock, flipping and twirling.

"You should see the look on your face!" He laughed, jumping circles around Gaiihl.

"Well I can't wait to see the look on yours!" He said, throwing a barrage of blue fire at the grass type.

It shrieked and jumped from rock to rock, trying to get out of the way, though each time it tried to pause to Work Up, it was forced to abort operations and jump to the next. It seemed though, that even Pansage managed to slip once and a while, misjudging the distance to the next rock it slipped and fell back right into the flames.

"Use Hex!" Kenzie ordered, Marcurio running excitedly around her feet in circles and yipping loudly from impatience to see the end of the fight.

"Vine Whip Chamo! And then try Work Up again!" Cilan shouted, wiping his brow with a rag from his apron.

The vines hit Gaiihl just as the Hex hit Chamo, causing the Pansage to back up in surprise as he was covered in loose wrappings.

**_"Ouch! That look like it hurt and now it seems as if Cilan's Pansage is in a ….bind-!"_**

The crowd groaned at the announcer's pun.

**_"Thanks to Yamask's Ability: Mummy! This ability neutralizes the enemy's on contact and turns it into the same thing!"_**

"Come on Gaiihl! Hex one more time!" Kenzie shouted.

Pansage, hearing Kenzie's command quickly dodged the attack and took off on top of the rocks again as Gaiihl gave chase, zooming after him, mask in hand.

"Use Vine Whip again and back off Chamo!" Cilan shouted, heart beating fast.

Chamo jumped and turned around in mid-air slamming the vines down just as Gaiihl raised his mask to block it, the vines useless against the gold metal.

"Now Gaiihl!" Kenzie yelled excitedly, hands balled into fists.

Gaiihl slammed his fist into the Pansage's side, hand covered in the purple aura from the Hex. Chamo slumped to the ground and groaned, out for the count. Gaiihl looked from Cilan to Kenzie as the announcer's voice blared through the restaurant and declared them the winners and turned to gaze at his own face on the jumbo-tron before leaning down and helping the Pansage to stand, floating with him for support as they walked over to Cilan. The Gym leader looked down at him thankfully and took Chamo into his arms and pressed his face into his fur.

"You did great Chamo, but we're Gym Leaders, we've got to lose sometimes."

Chamo nodded and gave a salute to Gaiihl and to the Trainer and Zorua across the arena. Gaiihl nodded and floated back to the center of the ring as Cilan followed. Kenzie ran out to join them, Marc transforming with his Illusion along the way into his preferred human form. Kenzie swept the ghost up in a hug and Gaiihl was then immediately snatched by the Zorua.

"You did it, I can't believe it!" Marc praised.

"I know! I-"

"I mean really! You're just so tiny!"

"Well...yeah, but-"

"And your arms are so twiggy! A-"

"Alright, alright! I get it!" He complained, struggling and slipping free of his grip.

Cilan cleared his throat and all of the spotlights focused on the center of the arena as Gaiihl rested himself on Kenzie's shoulder.

"Kenzie! In honor of your Pokemon's victory and your dedicated training, I award you all with the Trio Badge!" He held the badge high in the air for the entire restaurant to see. "Traded Pokemon will now be more inclined to respect you, and you are now authorized to use the HM01 move Cut outside of battle."

Cilan took her Pokedex from her hand and registered her victory inside before handing it back to her and pressed the badge into a brand new case, handing that and another object over to her.

"And as a reward for a battle well fought, I award your partners with the TM Work Up! You've already seen its uses in battle and I'm sure you'll find good use for it."

Kenzie nodded gratefully and placed both objects in her bag, swinging it onto her back.

"And after an amazing challenge like that…. Who wouldn't be hungry? He waved his hand to the crowd. Restaurant policy! If a Challenge is won by a visiting party during your dining experience, your meal is on the House!"

The crowd cheered as the arena started to lower, now unburdened with the thoughts of paying for their meals.

"That goes for you and your Pokemon as well." Cilan said, leading her and the Pokemon over to a table to be seated as the large red curtain closed behind them. "Ahem, welcome to the Striaton Restaurant and Gym, what can I get for you all today?"

"How on Earth are you able to eat so much?" Kenzie laughed, packing her things at the Pokémon Center. "Like…just…where does it all _go_?"

"He has the appetite of a Hippowdon." Marc said, sitting on the bed and pulling down the hood of his coat.

"Hah! Gaiihl said, zipping up her backpack for her, "A Hippowdon has nothing on me."

"Do we have to go to Nacrene now?" Marc complained, falling back on the bed and reverting to his normal form, fuzzy belly in the air.

Kenzie couldn't resist and sat down next to him and rubbed his tummy. "Because that's where my Mom's friend Lenora lives and she's the next Gym Leader we need to battle-"

The Zorua nearly melted to her touch, back leg thumping the air. "Mmmmm scritchessss~"

"- But that also means that we can sleep over at her house and explore the museum and talk about the finds at Relic Castle." She said, looking to Gaiihl.

He smiled, he'd liked Lenora when he first met her and it was exciting to know that there was still someone out there who knew the story of his people.

They made their way out of the Pokemon Center and were about to make their way towards the garden on the western side of the city when Kenzie heard her name being called.

"Huh?" She asked, turning around to find a tall, thin woman in a lab coat with incredibly long hair running along after her.

"Phew, I caught up with you just in time!" She said, straightening her glasses. "I saw you battle earlier today and I was wondering if you could help me with something." She extended her hand, "My name's Fennel."

"Nice to meet you." Kenzie said, "Well… we were just about to head off to Nacrene, what do you need help with?"

"If you can follow me to my lab, I'll show you." She said, leading the way and leaving the Trainer to follow her.

They walked across town and entered a large building that seemed to be an apartment but the entire second floor had been refurbished into a laboratory. On one side of the room was a pair of beds hooked up to an enormous mainframe and other strange pieces of machinery and on the other was a small girl with pigtails that was typing on a computer.

"Did you know that when you dream, all of the people in that dream are people you've seen somewhere before? On the street maybe or in a magazine or a television show… Well, the same goes for Pokemon as well." Fennel said, leading them over to the bed. "I've created a device that lets us see and even 'attend' the dreams of Pokemon, and those Pokemon witnessed in those dreams can be called to in real life as long as they're still around and haven't been captured."

"How would a machine like that even work?" Kenzie asked, perplexed.

"Well, this is just a prototype, I've already perfected the portable version." She said, "But I need something for it to work, a substance called Dream Mist that is given off by Musharna and Munna in the Dream Yard."

"The Dream Yard?" Asked Kenzie.

Fennel nodded, "It's the abandoned building and that area over to the east. A lot of trainers go there to train and catch Pokemon. I've seen you talking to your Pokemon, and since you're a Psychic you'd be perfect to persuade Musharna to let me have a little of that Dream Mist."

"Well, alright." Kenzie said, "If it's easier and better for the Pokemon for me to go ask then we'll do it."

Fennel nodded. "And if you do I'll reward you with one of my portable Dream World machines. You can use them with your Pokemon and look for new members to add to your team."

Kenzie nodded. "It's a deal."

Soon Kenzie, Gaiihl, and Marcurio found themselves at the entrance to the Dream Yard, walking among the abandoned oil drums and crumbling concrete.

"Wow." Said Marc, snuffing the ground and pawing at it. "This place really is a dump."

"Hey! Hold on!" Shouted Fennel, running back up to them. "I almost forgot, as a bit of a down payment take this. It's the HM01 Cut, you can use it now that you've beated the Striation gym. Watch."

Fennel took a Pokeball from her pocket and tossed it in the air, letting the bright red burst of energy race to the ground and materialize in to a Sawsbuck, antlers full of crunchy fall leaves and coat covered in earthy tones.

"Alright Viridian, mind using cut on that tree over there?" She asked, pointing to a large, dead tree blocking a hole in the wall.

The Sawsbuck nodded it's head, leaves scratching against each other before it cantered over. Viridian's antlers started to glow with a harsh, white light and it brandished them and swiped his snout in the air. The energy shot off into a razor blade of light that carved into the tree before evaporating when it struck concrete. The dead tree gave a shudder and Viridian pranced off out of range from the falling trunk that fell to the ground with a thump and a snap of branches.

"Good job." Fennel praised, drawing him back into his ball. "Now you three will be able to get in and out of there with ease instead of having to climb the walls."

Kenzie nodded and waved her Pokemon to follow her as she jumped over the stump and into the Dream Yard.

"There's a lot of tall grass in here." Marc pointed out, not even visible as he pushed through the foliage.

"We're going to have to be wary of wild Pokemon." Kenzie said, the grass almost above her waist, "They like to hang out in places like these, usually they run away but if you get close enough they'll jump out at you."

"My people had an old legend about that." Gaiihl said, keeping a look out and floating above the grass. "They said that the better the person was, the more Pokemon that would surprise them, and that they're jumping out to thank them for the good in their hearts."

"Then I'd better start worrying that I haven't seen one in here yet." She said playfully, "Maybe we can fi-"

"Ssshhh!" Gaiihl said suddenly, form still as he listened. "I hear something…Pokemon?"

"No, people." Marc whispered, ears twitching as he climbed up Kenzie's back to get a better look. "I hear them, they don't sound happy. Something's going on."

"Stay close together." Gaiihl suggested, "Kenzie, you can get behind us we'll keep you safe."

"Lead the way." She whispered, crouching low and following her two partners as they made their way forward.

Every once and a while they'd have to jump from one patch of grass to the next to stay hidden and to say low as they walked through the abandoned concrete rubble of the building. Every so often Gaiihl and Marc would stop, listening hard before both deciding on a direction to go. Marc trotted up a set of stairs, yelping when a piece broke away and nearly caused him to fall before Kenzie managed to catch him. Cautiously, they made their way up the rotted stairs and onto the second story's concrete floor and hurried towards the window.

"Did you hear something?" Came the voice of a person below.

"Probably just a Pokemon got its tail caught in something." Another voice, female, snipped back.

"So what's that Munna doing? Give you any Dream Mist yet?"

"No, the Arceus forsaken thing is being difficult." She said, walking over to a small, metal cage where the Pokemon whimpered inside. "Come on honey~" She said, putting on a fake, loving voice, "If you give us just a little bit of that Dream Mist we'll let you out~"

She paused for a moment, looking at the terrified Pokemon.

"Pfft. Nothing." She huffed.

"I'm getting sick of this, we've been here all day." The man said gruffly, going over and taking a hold of the cage. "If we want results we need to change our tactics."

With a clatter and a pained cry the Munna and its cage were slammed to the ground and swiftly kicked by the strangely dressed man.

"If you want to get out of there you'd better give us some of that cursed Dream Mist!"

"Muuuuunnn!"

Looking down from the window Kenzie's fists were balled tight and Marc's hackles were raised, a low growl in his throat.

"Come on, we have to go do something." Kenzie whispered furiously. "Gaiihl,….wait…where'd he go?"

"HEY!" Gaiihl cried, floating up into view of the window down below. "You leave her alone!"

"What in the name of Mew is _that_?" Asked the man.

"Looks like a Yamask." The girl said, obviously bored and looking at her nails. "Yamask Hon, you'd better get out of here if you know what's good for you. You ain't human anymore; you don't stand a chance so beat it. You know better than I do that the good die young, so get out of here before it happens again."

"Yama! yamas, yamask!"

Gaiihl glared and blue sparks shot from his hands, bringing a light blue blaze to life in his palms.

"Oh, so you want a fight, huh?" She laughed, "Little old you versus the two of us. Hey! Get over here and help me fight this little runt!"

The man took a break from kicking the cage and tromped over to the woman, bringing a Pokeball from his belt.

"Hey! You leave my partner alone!" Kenzie cried, running out from the building with Marcurio in tow.

"Oh, so this runt is yours huh? So what, are you going to fight us?" Asked the man, looking to the woman and laughing.

Kenzie's eyes narrowed, she recognized the uniform from the strangely dressed people in Accumula town. These horrible people and the ones at Accumula talking of Pokemon liberation were one and the same, they were Team Plasma.

"No one will be fighting here at all."

The two Plasma Grunts whipped around to find a tall, cloaked figure emerging from the tall grass with light green hair and a dark red monocle.

"L-lord Ghetsis!"

"You completly insolent fools! This is not how we treat Pokemon!"

"B-but sir, we-"

**"SILENCE."**

The two Grunts recoiled as if they'd been hit and bowed their heads, arms crossed behind their backs.

"You are to go back to our base of operations and wait, I will deal with you there. Leave me to the child and her Pokemon."

The two nodded silently and took off at a brisk pace.

"Wow." Marc said, stepping forwards. "She's good."

"She?" Asked Kenzie, confused.

"Yeah, she. I barely saw through it." He smirked and looked back at Kenzie, "I'm better though."

"I'll say." Came a voice, the image of Ghetsis flickered and disappeared before them. "But how could I compete with one of the masters of Illusion?" Said the Musharna floating before them.

"Oh you poor lil' darlin'…"

Kenzie and all of the Pokemon looked to the cage to find Bianca. She had tossed the cage away, tenderly treating the Munna's wounds. She stood and walked over to join the group.

"Hey Kenzie." She said, "Thanks for showin' up, and you too Musharna. I was out here training for the gym when I found those thugs, I wasn't able to do anything so I was waitin' for a chance to take off with that cage and let Munna go."

The Munna did look very grateful to her, now happily curled in her arms and looking up at her with admiration.

"Do you know why they were after the Dream Mist?" Asked Kenzie, "This woman named Fennel asked me to come here and ask Musharna for some for one of her inventions."

"Well, they didn't talk much about it. But I think I heard them talking about how they were going to use it to alter people's thoughts and dreams."

"This does not bode well." Said the Musharna, floating over to the Munna and nuzzling it. "Very well, thank you Trainers, for helping my friend. I will give you the Dream Mist you seek."

Kenzie relayed the message to Bianca as they watched the Pokemon, her eyes glowed and a sudden pink mist enveloped her. It swirled and compressed, turning into a small, smoky ball of mist that floated to hover in front of Kenzie. She took it in her hands, it wasn't exactly solid, nor was it completely mist-like. Musharna nodded and floated back into the tall grass, Bianca took off towards the Pokemon Center to care for the Munna, and Kenzie retreated back to Fennel's lab.

"So much for getting to Nacrene today." Said Kenzie, helping Marc set up their tent. "But at least we were able to help out."

Gaiihl nodded happily, glad that he could help as well, gathering sticks and firewood to keep warm for the night as Kenzie stepped away to answer a call from her Cross Transceiver. Soon enough Kenzie crawled into the tent to rest, followed by Gaiihl. Marcurio soon tried to enter as well, but was run out by Kenzie.

"Uh-uh. You're not allowed in unless you're being cute and fuzzy."

"But…I like having opposable thumbs."

"Nope."

Marcurio sighed and let his illusion fade, crawling into the tent and curling up near the entrance.

"Hey, Gaiihl." She said, covering up with the blankets. "I got a call from Lenora. She says that they found some interesting things in Dragon Village a little ways away from the Unova region. They've brought some objects in for study and for some reason they think that... you're involved somehow."


	13. Chapter 13

**Woo! Two updates in one day! I am on a roll!**

"Hey honey!" Lenora smiled and made her way through the crowd at the Museum to greet the trainer. "I'm glad you two could make it!"

"Three." Marc pointed out, in his preferred human form that he took in public.

"Oh!" She said, looking the figure up and down, catching sight of the small fuzzy tail below his jacket. "Uh-huh. You Zorua are tricky, tricky little critters aren't you? Well, nice to see your little family is growing, did you drop your things off at my house?"

Kenzie nodded, glad to be free of carrying everything for once. "So what did you need us here for? You said that there was something about Gaiihl?"

"I think so. I've been doing a bit of research and I think I might have found something a little…odd."

Gaiihl flinched internally. If Lenora was an expert on his people and culture, then there was no doubt that she already knew what he'd been before, and he still hadn't told Kenzie that he was once royalty. He didn't know quite why he was so bent of keeping it a secret, but the thought twisted him up inside. He'd been the leader of his people when his family was taken from him and there was nothing he could do to help them, reduced to a servant he had to work and watch his people suffer and suffer with them. Not only this, but the curse of possibly becoming a Cofagrigus haunted him just as much, yes, he was a Pokemon, but he refused to become the same monster that Sethikhamun had become.

Lenora led them into a back room and through a hallway, stopping at a large door and unlocking it with a set of keys before leading them into a laboratory room with clean white walls and a sterilized feeling. Opening a drawer, she withdrew a few pairs of gloves and instructed them each to wear them while in the lab to not damage the artifacts found there.

"This is one of the things I wanted you to look at Gaiihl." Lenora said, opening a locked cabinet and bringing out an ornate golden case.

The gold was flaking off slightly, revealing the almost petrified wooden base beneath it. With a gentle touch, Lenora opened the case. Inside it looked as if it had been lined with fur at one point, but the skin had long since turned to leather. With great care she removed a number of carved figurines, white as bone, setting them on the table until they numbered sixteen. Gaiihl looked at them, awestruck.

"What are you doing?"

"Not now Senet. I'm carving." Gaiihl responded, taking a small pick from beside him to texture the piece.

They both sat on the bank of a small creek, the cool moss beneath them was a comfort compared to the desert heat that surrounded the forest. In fact, it was the only large forest in the region that he knew of. It had taken three days to journey there for the upper class families of his village as somewhere, deep in the forest, was a temple ancient even to him that his mother Naihla found it fit to pay respects to. The entire forest felt ancient even, the trees were wide enough that five grown men needed to hold hands to fit around it and the ground was covered in twisted, knarled roots. Senet scooted closer, her long black hair pulled into an ornate braid, her unusual bright blue eyes that seemed to stand out in the sandy tones of the desert seemed right at home in the lush greenery surrounding them.

"I was wondering why you were dressed so nice today." She said, tugging at his white cotton tunic and trousers. "So how old are you today then? What carving is this?"

"This is my thirteenth." He said proudly, already seeing the form of the Absol in the bone, waiting to be revealed. Already he'd carved out the head.

"An Absol?" Senet asked, frowning. "Those Pokemon are bad omens."

"But that's what makes them great partners." He said, blowing off a bit of white powder. "Any warrior and his companion would be fearful to take on a brave Pharaoh and his Absol~"

She rolled her eyes. "So you're looking forward to your journey then, huh?"

"You know it. And I'm not coming back until I find the perfect partner." Gaiihl responded, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "I'm trying to finish this centerpiece as fast as possible. Then we can go ahead and have my celebration and I'll be able to head out."

"Even though there are rumors from the south of dissent?" She asked, sounding nervous.

"Of course not…it's just rumors, right?" He said, half sure of himself.

"Yeah, right." She said, shaking the thought from her mind and scooting closer to lean her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know…maybe a year? More than that?" He said quietly, pressing the figure into the wet moss to clean it. "But I'll come back, I promise."

She nodded and looked up at him, heart aching before she pressed her lips to his cheek.

"You'd better."

His eyes widened and he felt his heart thump in his chest and he turned to look at her, placing his hand over her own.

"Senet? What's wrong?"

She shook her head and drew her knees up in her dress, resting her chin on them, though her hand didn't dare leave his.

"They always talk about how people change when they leave to find their partners." She said, "But I don't want you to change, I like you the way you are."

His eyes drifted to the ground. "If I do change, I'll make sure it's only for the better." He decided, "I won't come back as someone else. I'll just come back as a better me."

Senet nodded and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly. And for the longest while the two figures, swathed in white against the dark green forest sat there, hugging and carving and leaning on one another. It was still hard to say when they parted ways to sleep that night, because his heart had focused on her.

"…Those are mine…" Gaiihl whispered softly.

He floated towards the figures as Kenzie relayed the message, hardly even a buzz in the back of his mind. Everything had gone silent and carefully, he took the Absol in his hands. The figure was now bleached white and cracked from age, some of the finer details he'd gone to so much length to carve for his thirteenth birthday had worn off. He trembled slightly, hands shaking as he turned it over to look on the bottom of the rounded base. In his own carving was the Unown G, the same as the one below his eye, and right next to it was an ornate heart, the symbol of the Alomomola Family. Senet's symbol.

He choked slightly, trying to hold back tears as he set it back down.

"B-but how?" He sniffed, "How are these here? I…they were with me when I…" He shook his head, "Why would they be in Dragon Village if I was entombed in the Relic Castle?"

Kenzie translated for him and Lenora shook her head and crossed her arms, Marc busying his self with examining the carving of a cheeky looking Zorua, the fifteenth figure in the line with a Haxorus being last.

"The thing is hon, after you and Kenzie left I went back to the ruins the next day to check that room you were entombed in." She shrugged. "There wasn't nothin' there, no bones, no pieces of jewelry or clothing, no evidence of any sort of body."

"Are you saying that Gaiihl was moved?" Asked Kenzie, "But how? The tomb was sealed up tight."

"You remember that hole in the floor you fell through?" Asked Lenora. "That hole was made on purpose, and Gaiihl's body was moved and preserved somewhere else. This is a big discovery because it links Dragon Village to the ancient cities in the Desert Resort and uncovers a lot about Unovian ancestry."

"That doesn't make sense though." Kenzie said, "Gaiihl told me he was a servant, a stonecutter and an architect. I thought only royalty was preserved and turned to mummies?"

"A-actually…" Gaiihl gulped, "I…I _was_ a stonecutter…. But before that I was a…what you would call a prince."

Kenzie's eyes widened and she knelt down to eye level with him.

"I told you how…how my family was taken from me." He said, "But… I didn't tell you that my father was the Pharaoh. When Sethikhamun's brother took the throne from my father and I returned home they excused it as an act of 'mercy' and reduced me to a servant." He sighed, "There's not many other things you can do to ensure my people's obedience except to reduce the last true heir to the throne to a common slave."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, "Are you afraid that I'm going to treat you differently? Do you want me to?"

"N-no! No… I just… I don't want to be royalty. At least, not anymore." He sighed, "I don't want to risk-"

"Evolving into a Cofagrigus…." She said, finishing his sentence. "Gaiihl, I'm not going to force you to change if you don't want to. There are ways to keep a Pokemon from evolving, I'm sure we can go buy an Everstone from a shop around here."

He nodded, trying to control his emotions as he stared at his hands, twiddling his fingers before he was pulled into a hug.

"I don't care what you look like and you don't have to change. I like you just the way you are." She said, blue eyes bright.

His eyes widened and he hugged her tightly. _And if I do change, I'll make sure it's only for the better._

Lenora cleared her throat and placed the figures back into the box, locking it up securely in the cabinet again. She strode over to another door and unlocked it, flicking on the lights.

"These are really what I want you to see." She said, leading them inside. "These were uncovered in a collapsed temple in Dragon Village. The inhabitants usually left offerings at the rubble because of this legend that surrounded the place. Iris, the leader of the Opelucid City Gym is a very important member of the Village. She can be equated to a 'princess' of sorts, and if probably a direct descendant of Gaiihl's people, and she allowed the museum to retrieve these pieces."

Large glass cases littered the room and inside were large hunks of stone tablets with various glyphs and carvings of pictures. Gaiihl floated over and read what he could decipher.

"These…these are about me." He said confusedly, making out his name among the broken slabs. "But..why?"

"The rest of the tablets tell the story, but they're too broken to make out. Iris does a better job of telling it." Lenora said, "But I'd say that they were in Dragon Village for the same reason that you were."

"For the same…reason…that I was?" He asked, turning to follow her gaze, his own resting on the largest case yet.

There on a large pedestal sat an elaborate sarcophagus, coated entirely with gold. Faded blue paint was flaking off of it and his own face stared out at the ceiling, the golden face an exact copy of the one he held with him. Around the 'neck' of the sarcophagus was a necklace of sharp, pearly white teeth that looked as if they belonged to some ferocious carnivore. He was slightly disturbed to realize how similar it looked to a Cofagrigus.

"That necklace is made of Dragon's Teeth." She said, "Dragon Village was originally named in honor of a Haxorus. It's an honor to even be presented with one, they held you with high honor. Especially since Dragon's Teeth are said to imbue long life. But the strangest thing is, when our Museum first found this, maybe fifteen years ago,( it's taken quite a while to convince anyone to let us move this) was around the time of the first discovery of a Yamask."

"Do you think they're connected?" Kenzie asked.

"I don't know, but I'd say they'd have to be. I remember something in the legend about 'history repeats itself', but I can't recall the whole thing. Iris had to leave for a battle, but I've managed to call her down to meet you, Gaiihl." She said, "She's waiting for you at Castelia city, she wants you to beat my Gym first. She says that if you're really the Gaiihl that she thinks you are, you've got to be tested first."

"So let me get this straight." Marc said, "I knew about the whole royalty thing, but for some reason he dies, his body gets moved and carted off to some primitive Village where he's part of some Legend, they put out offerings to him, and there's a chance that his body is somehow linked to all of these ghosts rising from the grave….." He looked up and scowled, poking the glass case. "And I'm not in a single one of these pictures! I mean, come on! I knew you for what….two years?! I don't even get a cliffnote, not even a mention?"

"I'm just as in the dark as you are!" He said, looking around at everything. "This…this is just crazy! I never knew this happened, I was entombed, I got hungry, I died…what's there to honor in that?"

Kenzie once again translated for him to Lenora, who was intrigued by his sudden outburst.

"Hon, historical texts say that you were imprisoned because you helped the other servants escape entombment with you." She said.

"Okay, so I helped a few friends run away, but that's not enough for this." He replied, looking to Kenzie as the spoke to Lenora.

"Did you know that a week after they got away, evidence shows that the city fell? Sethikhamun was killed a week after you, stabbed in the back after he tried to run from battle. Those friends of yours brought back an army of your people, you started a revolution."

**DUN DUN DUUUUUNNN! So, somehow Gaiihl is a historical icon to the people of Dragon Village and he didn't even know it! Is his sacrifice somehow linked to the appearance of the Yamask? As the last true heir to the Throne of Unova and son of a Priestess, who knows?**

**Also! A bit of fun connections from me, Gaiihl and his people are rather dark skinned, almost like a dark caramel. This, coupled with the prevalence of Priestesses in the times of ancient Unova can be linked to actual 'Psychic' NPC trainers in the game. They, along with Iris and the inhabitants of Dragon Village, are the remnants of the citizens of ancient Unova. Pretty cool, huh?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey to all of you readers who have read so far! Thanks so much for all of the views and taking the time to read my story, if you'd like more then check out my Deviantart page .com ! Do you play the games? Feel up to a battle? PM me here and you can fight against the team from the fic! Send your friend code on over and make sure you're all trained up! My team is full of heavy hitters!**

Gaiihl breathed heavily, drifting to the frosted over grass and sitting to catch his breath, watching as the Throh shook off its injuries and dashed back into the dark grass from which it came. Marcurio was tempted on chasing after it, just to teach it a lesson but stayed loyally by his trainer's side as Kenzie walked up to pick up the Yamask.

"Come on." She said, "That's enough battling for the day, you look exhausted."

Gaiihl shook his head weakly, "I-I can d-do it." He panted, "J-just a couple more battles."

"You've been working yourself as hard as a Gurdurr for the past few days." Kenzie said, "I know you want to meet Iris and figure out what happened, but she's not going anywhere and neither is that legend."

"But I _n-need_ to know!" He protested weakly, resting his head against her shoulder. "Just…just one more battle."

"Tomorrow Gaiihl, we'll have plenty of time then. Cheren called and challenged us to a battle back up near the Daycare on Route 3." She promised, "You'll have his two Pokemon to try and beat then, and then we'll go and try for the Basic Badge, alright?"

"I….I guess so." He conceded, feeling exhausted.

"Good, let's head to the café and pick up something for you to drink. Then we can rest and go find that Everstone at one of the artist shops."

"How is he hon?" Lenora asked, watching Kenzie walk back down the stairs with the fox in tow. "He didn't look too good when you brought him in."

"I think he'll be okay once he gets some rest." She said, "He just kept diving into one battle after another today trying to train. He's almost obsessed with his own past, I'm worried that he won't be able to move on."

Lenora sighed, "Maybe it was a bad idea to tell him about those finds so soon. I was just hoping he'd be able to shed some light on them for me, I didn't know it was all new to him too."

"How did you know about Sethikhamun though?" Asked Kenzie, taking a seat at the table. "Gaiihl only mentioned him once to me, he's the one that entombed him alive."

"Sethikhamun is a very obscure figure." Lenora said, "Nearly everything that mentions him has his name bashed out in tablets and walls, any drawings of him have been defiled. There are only a few existing texts on him and everything is about his tyrannical rule or his death, all we really know is that he was one of the worst perceived Pharaohs of Ancient Unova and that he had a Mismagius under his control."

"A Mismagius?" Kenzie asked, "I've heard about those Pokemon, they have some really powerful dark magic at their disposal. No wonder why he was so dangerous too….you don't think Sethikhamun has come back too…do you?"

"There's no way to say for sure." Lenora said, "He could have been captured by a trainer or might still be wandering that part of Unova where he died. It's hard to say."

"Gaiihl mentioned seeing another Cofagrigus the other day." Marc said, jumping up onto the table. "He was really jumpy about it afterwards, plus he's got some issue with evolving."

"I don't know." Lenora said, walking over to the counter to pour herself a mug of coffee. "It all might just be part of the process. He's grieving for what he once had, it's hard to move on when your life has been flipped upside down. You just gotta keep doin' what you're doin' and help him move on. If that means uncovering a few secrets, finding a few people he knew, or looking for places that feel like home to give him some closure, then you've gotta be there for him."

Kenzie nodded, folding her arms and resting her head on the table. "You know, he hasn't really told me much about himself at all. What he liked to do when he was alive, favorite foods, who his friends were…. He must be terribly homesick."

"Well…" Lenora thought aloud, scrunching her mass of teal hair to make it stand up right. "I wouldn't be opposed to having a 'Yamask/Cofagrigus Day' at the Museum." She said, "It could be a bit of a town-wide celebration, we can certainly put it up by next week if I talk to the right people. We could reunite some friends, sell traditional art from the artists in town, hold a big party. It would be great for the Museum too if we're able to shed a bit of light on the past."

"That sounds like a great idea." Kenzie said, "We'll probably have to come back from Castelia, I'm hoping to beat your Gym tomorrow."

"I better keep my guard up then huh, sugar?" Asked Lenora, laughing. "Then it's set, maybe we can get your friend out of that funk he's in and looking to making a good future."

"I don't get how holding a rock is going to stop me from evolving." Gaiihl said, tucking the Everstone into the folds of his scarf.

"We don't really know how it works." Kenzie admitted, looking into the windows of the warehouses, "Just that it does what it does."

"Nice town." Marc mused, hands in his pockets as he trailed along a little ways behind. "Turning warehouses into local shops and homes… Looks like even when something has outlived its purpose you humans can still find something to do with it."

"That sounded uncharacteristically thoughtful~"

"Then again, this is probably the 1% of things you don't just destroy to put up another shopping mall or a fast food restaurant."

"Aaaand I take that back." Kenzie laughed, getting in her bag and doling out a bit of the prize money to them. "Here, you guys can spend this on whatever you want, just keep in mind that too many Supply Balls even get heavy to carry around after a while. Stick around with Marc for a bit and let him show you how to handle money nowadays. I need to take a stop at Castelia City to pick up some more medicines, I'll be taking a bus so I'll be back soon, can't battle while I'm there and without you two anyway."

Gaiihl nodded and waved goodbye as she headed off and he floated along with the transformed Zorua into the shops, looking at a variety of items that, most of them, he didn't even know what were.

"You know…" Marc said, walking out of the shop. "It'd probably be good for you to find a hobby. I know you did that carving thing for your birthday, but why not take it up in your spare time?"

"I don't know…" Gaiihl said hesitantly, "I mean, there's already so much stuff to do, and I'm preoccupied with training."

Marc rolled his eyes and transformed back into a Zorua and pushed the Yamask out of the way of shoppers.

"Look, I'm going to be straight with you. Kenzie and I both noticed that you've been acting different as of late. What gives?"

"What? Nothing is being given, I want to help Kenzie beat this Gym and go to Castelia and I'd just like to hear this Legend about me." He said, defensively. "N-nothing's wrong."

"Oh yes there is." Marc pressed the issue, "You were afraid of evolving, sure, but you've been really adamant about it lately. You're training yourself too hard but you don't want to get stronger by becoming a Cofagrigus. What's going on, Gaiihl?"

Gaiihl gave him an angry look before sighing and looking away, Marcurio stood his ground expectantly, twitching his ears.

"Back in Striaton, before we challenged the Gym, I saw this strange boy, N, talking to a Cofagrigus."

"Okay, so what about this Cofagrigus?"

"It was Sethikhamun." He said, glaring at the ground, "He came back too."

Marcurio sat down, a troubled expression on his face as he listened. "What do you think it means?"

"It means that there's a problem. Team Plasma is being led by this man named Ghetsis, and he's N's father by the looks of it. Sethikhamun has teamed up with Ghetsis."

"So there's probably a lot more behind his agenda than 'Pokemon Liberation'," Marc thought aloud, "And it looks like those two grunts weren't just a couple of cruel members, there's a good chance that the majority of them are the same. But what does this mean for _you_?"

"For me? It…it doesn't mea-"

"Don't start that." Marcurio snapped, "Of course it means something. Are you training to defend yourself from him if he comes looking for revenge, or are you training to take revenge?!"

"I-I…" He had to think about that for a while. What was the real reason he was pushing himself so hard?

"Gaiihl. You, me, Kenzie… we're a team, and we've got to work together and listen to each other's problems. We can't keep secrets." He sighed, "Look, I joined this team because I knew I would for a long time. Back when I told you I was searching for a girl? That was Kenzie I was looking for. I was with Celebii when we took a break in the Desert Resort, I don't know what time but it has to be the future because I saw a girl surrounded by Pokemon and one of them was a Shiny _Zoroark_. I looked over at myself from across the desert and nodded. I knew that girl had to be the person."

"And that's why you were looking for her in the desert…" Gaiihl realized.

"I was looking in the wrong place and in the wrong time." He said, "But we have to work together, we can't have our own priorities getting in the way of what's important."

Gaiihl looked at the floor, ashamed with himself, he'd caused his friends worry because he was too focused on his past and something that had already happened. He couldn't change it, it was already over and done with and here he was wasting… wasting a second chance at life. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, he wasn't dead, he was alive and well albeit in a different form and time. It was like trying to live in the day before when the now was flying right past him without him noticing.

"I…I understand now." He said, "Sethikhamun is probably still up to no good, like he always was, but if we meet, he's goin to be the one coming to me. I won't seek out trouble."

Marcurio nodded approvingly. "I knew you weren't as dumb as you looked, it worried me that you might have wasted sixteen years of life being stupid."

Gaiihl shoved the Zorua playfully, "Dumb fox." He laughed, "But I'm going to keep training, for the right reasons." He looked to the Everstone tucked in his scarf, "And….one of these days I might evolve…but I don't want to… not quite yet."

"Well, at least you're thinking about it." Marc said, transforming back into his human form.

"We should start thinking about trying to beat this gym." Gaiihl mentioned, "What are those things, TMs? We should see if we can learn some new moves for the upcoming battles."

"I think there was a case of them over here." Marc said, waving him along.

"Hey guys, I was wondering when you'd get back." Kenzie said, watching as the two Pokemon entered the house. "Have a good time?"

Gaiihl nodded and floated over to her to pull her into a sudden hug, "I'm sorry for worrying you." He said, "It's…just been a rough time for me."

She smiled and hugged him back, "But you're okay now?"

"I'm getting there." He said, giving her a small smile.

"Anyway." Marcurio interrupted, "We ended up buying some TMs with our money." He set the bag down on the table and transformed back into a Zorua.

"And a little something extra to celebrate our upcoming victory." Gaiihl said confidently, opening one of the bags and struggling to take out the small cake they had bought from a local baker.

Kenzie's eyes lit up and she grabbed her bag. "I've got a bit of a surprise for you two as well." She said, "I went to Castelia so I could pick up some new art supplies from the Castelia City Art Store, where Burgh gets his supplies, and the Toys R' Us was giving these away."

"Toys R' Us?" He asked, watching as she brought out what looked like a large glass cylinder.

"It's a big toy store." She explained, "But to help trainers build their teams they were giving away Pokemon eggs!"

Kenzie sat the cylindrical incubator on the table, the egg sealed safely inside.

"What kind of egg is it?" Gaiihl asked, floating over to peer into the case.

"That's the thing, it can hatch into one of three Pokemon. A Pidove, a Pansage like Cilan's, or an Axew."

"And Axew?" He said, smiling slightly into the container, "When will it hatch?"

"The clerk said that it would only be in a few days since they incubated a lot of them beforehand. It won't be long until we find out what Pokemon is waiting for us. Either way, it'll be an excellent addition to the team. "

"So, mmph… are you guys going to eat some of this cake or what?" Marc asked, snout covered in white icing.

"Marcurio!" Kenzie scolded, laughing. "Fine, You're getting that piece, just wait for me to cut the cake before eating more, alright?"

He burped and sat back, trying to lick the icing from his nose. "To us! And our soon to be win against Cheren and the Gym!"

"How much farther is the Daycare again?" Gaiihl asked.

Kenzie's feet tromped against the wooden bridge as she drew her coat closer to herself, it seemed as if winter was right on their heels.

"Not that much farther, around the bend and a little more of a walk." She assured, "This time I'm letting Marc take on Smugly. That Snivy might know how to cheat, but Marc is pretty cunning himself, plus he's got that new move that's perfect against a Snivy."

Gaiihl nodded, tail wrapped around her arm as he rested against her shoulder, watching the water for the Pokemon swimming underneath. Even more so, he was feeling for the egg moving every once and a while in her bag.

"So, what are we going to name the Axew?" He asked, peeking into the bag.

"We don't even know if it's going to be an Axew." She said, "I'd rather wait and see what we end up with before deciding on a name for him, or her for that matter."

"Well…still." He said, "I nearly settled on the name Wulfrum for Khepesh…"

"If it ends up being a male Axew then fine, we'll call it Wulfrum." She conceded, but you know you have a one in six chance of that happening."

"Sssh!" He hushed, "I'm being optimistic, don't ruin it~" He laughed, batting the brim of her hat.

"Oh! I see Cheren up ahead!" She whispered hurriedly, "Quick! Get in your Pokeballs, it's time for that little plan we made."

"Hey!" Cheren waved to Kenzie as she approached, "You ready for that battle? I've been training with Smugly, hopefully he won't be as much of a sore loser as before…"

"It's no problem Cheren." She said, tipping her hat and taking a Pokeball from her belt. "Let's get this started then!"

She tossed out her first Pokeball and a Yamask emerged from the bright red light and tightened his scarf. Cheren drew his own Pokeball and bounced it onto the field, revealing the Snivy as the ball zoomed back to his hand.

"Hey! Wow! Are you guysh havin' a Pokemon baddul?!"

Kenzie looked up, seeing a small crowd of kids from the Daycare starting to gather.

"Yes, we are, you guys want to watch?" Cheren offered.

There was a small chorus of 'yes!' and some children even let their own Pokemon out to watch.

"Alright! Gaiihl! Use Shadowball!" Kenzie ordered, starting the match.

"Smugly, dodge it and use Growth!"

The Snivy easily dodged the Shadowball and rolled to the side, becoming engulfed in a green shimmer.

"Try and use Shadowball again!" She said, "He's building his attack power!"

Gaiihl nodded and zoomed forward, dodging from side to side to avoid Smugly's vine whips before the Snivy was plowed over by a close-range Shadowball. He turned the tumble into a purposeful roll before landing back on his stubby feet and shooting forwards.

"Use Growth and then Wrap him before finishing him off with a close range Vinewhip!" Cheren shouted.

The shimmer surrounding Smugly grew harsher as he shot forwards and a set of vines shot from his back, wrapping around the Yamask. However, as the Snivy approached to finish the first round of battle the vines wrapping Gaiihl tightened and his form faded away, revealing the Zorua in his place. It had been an illusion the entire time.

"Surprise~" Marcurio teased.

"Now! Use Incinerate!" Kenzie shouted, the real Gaiihl popping from his Pokeball to watch.

Smugly's eyes widened as he tried to veer away and continue with his attack, but he'd been charging along at full speed and skidded right into the flames, the vines smashing against the Zorua as well. When the dust cleared, both Pokemon were out for the count and out cold.

Cheren sighed, "I submit for the next round." He conceded, walking forward and picking up Smugly, "Sebastian doesn't know any damaging moves for a Ghost type besides Assist, and even then he might not choose Vinewhip. I'd rather not take an unnecessary risk, it was carelessness on my part." He sighed.

Kenzie carefully picked up Marcurio, gently peeling the vines off of him as he slowly came round.

"Did we win?" He asked, sounding dizzy.

"We won~" Kenzie giggled, taking a potion from her pack and tending to his wounds.

The Shiny Pokemon curled up in her arms, comforted by the medicine, he'd be well again after a few moments rest.

The children clapped excitedly, but they soon turned to gasps and shouts as two figures tore down the road and pushed Kenzie aside, causing her to fall to the frosty ground. Luckily, she had enough reaction time to fall to her side instead of on her back. The egg would be safe…she hoped. Tears stung at her eyes as Marc jumped from her arms and barked angrily at the two figures that rushed past them, her elbow had been badly scraped and it was bleeding slightly.

"Are you hurt?" Gaiihl asked protectively, carefully lifting her elbow to see. "You're bleeding."

"I'll be okay." She said, wiping her eye, "Can you check on the egg and get me a bandage?"

Gaiihl started rummaging through the pack and soon brought out an adequately sized bandage, leaving it to himself to patch her up as Cheren ran over.

"What was that?" He asked, glaring after the figures retreating into the distance. "Are they running from something?"

"Hey! Wait! Stop them!"

Kenzie, her Pokemon, and Cheren both turned to look down the road as Bianca hurried along holding the hand of a little girl who looked on the verge of collapsing. "Thieves!"

"Bianca!" Cheren yelled, running up to her. "What's going on?"

"Those Team Plasma thugs stole this poor darlin's Pokemon!"

Cheren's brow furrowed and he whipped around, "Kenzie! Hurry up and meet me at Wellspring Cave! That has to be where they're heading, there's no other path!"

Cheren turned and started at a full sprint towards the cave as Bianca did her best to comfort the small girl, who had started crying.

"Don't worry." Kenzie promised, "I'll get your Pokemon back. Don't worry."

She struggled to her feet and picked up the Zorua who was still aching from his wounds before sprinting off after Cheren.


	15. Chapter 15

**Alright! As some of you regular readers might have noticed, I've updated the story 'cover' with a brand new image thanks to the Photoshop Program I got for Christmas, check it out! I've also revised the story summary a bit to make it sounds more exciting thanks to advice from one reader. And as always, the team is roaring for a battle, so PM a friend code if you want to see how well you fare against Gaiihl and the rest of the team! **

At first glance Wellspring Cave could be easily overlooked by any passerby not specifically searching for the crevice hidden among the rocks and brush near the dirt road of Route 3. It was only thanks to Cheren's footprints in the frosty grass that Kenzie was able to locate the dark fissure and squeeze into the narrow opening that immediately opened up into a large cavern. She blinked as the willed her eyes to adjust to the darkness, hearing the steady drip-dripping of the water as the moisture filtered down and flowed from openings and from stalactites. Gaiihl drifted in, eyes easily focusing in the darkness that he had been so used to.

"This way." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her along.

"They can't have gone in far." Kenzie whispered, shoes scraping against the stone floor.

"Watch your step." Gaiihl warned as she approached a bump, "I think I see light up ahead."

Now able to see where she was, Kenzie broke into run as she turned the corner and found Cheren just finishing up a battle with one of the Team Plasma members that had run past. With his wounds treated, Snivy stood to the side with his leafy tail glowing brightly. The light cast shadows all over the cavern, one more being added as Kenzie ran up, Marcurio in her arms.

"Have any trouble?" She asked.

"None at all." He responded. "Sebastian took care of his Patrat easily. So, give back the Pokemon you stole!"

"It's going to take more than some egghead kid to make that happen!" The Team Plasma member growled at them. "I still have backup!"

The two team members next to him nodded and stepped forward, bringing out their own Pokeballs.

"Kenzie, double battle, you and me. Are you ready?" Cheren asked, "I can't take them on my own. Smugly is still injured."

"I'm all for it. Gaiihl, you're up. We're working with Cheren's Pokemon this time." Kenzie said.

Gaiihl floated down and took his place in front of her, sparing Marcurio from hacing to fight when the Zorua was still injured from the last match. Red eyes alert, he watched as the two Plasma members called out their Patrat, who looked vaguely like a cross between a meerkat and a chipmunk with piercing yellow gazes.

"Team up on the one on the left." The Purrloin said as Cheren called him out onto the field. "It'll be easier to take them out."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Sebastian." He said, getting ready.

"Use Energyball Gaiihl!"

"Sebastian, Assist!"

With both of the allied Pokemon locked in on one target, the small Patrat wasn't ready for the barrage sent his way. Gaiihl had summoned an energyball in each hand and zoomed forward, throwing them with all of his might. The enemy Pokemon managed to slip past the first one, but was sent sliding by the second burst of energy that slammed into its side. It nearly had a chance to let loose an attack of its own but before it coul react the purple cat Pokemon heft all of his weight into a tackle. The Patrat went flying from its feet and thumped into the ground as the second one darted forward to land an attack on Gaiihl. The ghost backed up, dodging each tackle that the Patrat tried to launch at him before stopping, letting it fly through his body and into the other enemy Patrat that was only just struggling to its feet.

"Quick! Get a knockout while they're down!" Cheren shouted.

Sebastian raced forward once more and plowed into the two Pokemon for the final time that match, both of the opposing Pokemon out cold .

"This is your fault!" One of the Plasma members complained to the other, "You didn't catch a strong enough Pokemon!"

"It's yours that's the weakling! Mine's almost close to evolving. Just leave it here, it's no use to you anymore." The other huffed. "And you two brats can keep the Pokemon we took if it's so _precious_ to you. It wasn't worth the trouble anyway."

He threw the Pokeball over to them and turned his back as the other tossed his Pokeball on the ground and smashed it, freeing the injured Patrat and walking away without any remorse.

"Hey! You're not just walking out of here!" Cheren shouted, angered by the Pokemon's treatment.

"Oh. Aren't we?" The other Plasma Member laughed, taking a purple sphere from his pocket and slamming it against the ground.

Kenzie covered her face as a choking gray smoke filled the area. The light from Smugly's tail barely even visible as a softly glowing orb in the haze. She choked and coughed as Gaiihl grabbed her arm and led her back out the way they came, she and Cheren quickly squeezing out of the entrance to the cave and sucking the cool air into their strained lungs.

"T-they got away." Cheren coughed angrily.

"At least we-" Kenzie coughed, "-Got that girl's Pokemon back."

"I suppose so." He wheezed.

"What are we going to do about him though?" Gaiihl asked.

The Yamask floated from the entrance of the cave, the injured Patrat slung over his shoulder. He floated over to the two trainers and gently set it in the grass.

"I couldn't just leave him there." He said, "Not after that."

"Right, we need to get him to a Pokemon Center for healing." Kenzie said, kneeling down and checking on the poor creature.

"He doesn't look so good." Cheren noticed, "That Patrat's been mistreated, look how thin he is. That wasn't from the result of our battle."

"Maybe I can help!"

Bianca and the small girl rounded the bend, the both of them running up when they noticed the injured Pokemon.

"I have a Heal Ball I can use, I can capture it and the Pokeball will return him to full health." The Little Girl offered, crawling over to the Patrat and gently stroking it's fur.

With small, fumbling hands the girl dug in her pocket and produced a small pink Pokeball, by clicking the button on the front the Patrat was enveloped in a soft red light and drawn into the ball.

"I'll take him home and take good care of him." She promised as the ball clicked shut.

"I have no doubt about that." Cheren said, "And we got back your other Pokemon too."

The Little Girl gasped with happiness as she took the other Pokeball from him, holding them both close.

"Thank you so much!" She said, looking to them before turning to Bianca, "Can you help me get home now?"

"Of course Sweetie, and thanks Cheren, Kenzie, for all of the help. I couldn't have caught up with them on my own." Bianca said, taking the Little Girl's hand in her own.

"No problem Bianca, we'll catch you later." Cheren said, nodding as he reached in his bag. "And Kenzie, before you go to the Pokemon Center, I found some extra Rawst Berries. I'm sure they'll help in the future. Good luck on your gym battle."

Kenzie thanked him gratefully and waved as he walked off down the dirt path after Bianca. She sighed, lost in her own thoughts as she strode down the patch back to town, the lake on one side and a plain white fenced area on the other.

"Those Team Plasma seem to be showing up everywhere." Gaiihl thought aloud, floating along next to Kenzie, "And they're doing a lot more than 'liberating' Pokemon. They're nothing but crooks."

"I don't know." She said, "Maybe we keep running into the bad ones?"

"Yeah, if they're all bad." He pointed out, "Back when I was alive, Sethikhamun tried to 'liberate' the people's Pokemon from them too."

"What happened?" Kenzie asked, intrigued that he'd actually talk about his past.

"It worked, most people handed over their reigns. Not me though, he tried to control Khepesh but he wasn't strong enough. He hated me for it." He said bitterly. "My heart was stronger, and he couldn't tolerate when someone was stronger than he was."

It was nearly midnight by the time that Gaiihl shambled into the castle, a he monument that rose from the sand and towered high into the clear desert sky. He wheezed painfully, supported by the large scaled monster at his side as he heaved himself up the stairs and down the side hall, servants were not allowed to stroll through the main hall where the Pharaoh's feet also touched. It was a long winding passage and once he made it to the large room where the servants slept on mattresses of hay he felt as if his lungs were threatening to shrivel up and fall away. Khepesh gave a quiet snort as he nudged the boy to his bed and settled down next to him.

"Gaiihl?"

A white clothed figure appeared in the faint moonlight streaming through the doorway and Gaiihl consciously heard the soft padding of bare feet as it drew close.

"Senet." He wheezed quietly, "G-go back to the women's quarters, you can't b-be caught here."

He closed his eyes and winced as he felt a gentle hand brush across his brow and then down his side, brushing over every point of pain that blinked in his mind.

"You sound horrible." She whispered, voice hurt, "What did he do to you?"

"I'll be fine." He shot back, "Get back to y-your room."

Hearing her gasp of surprise made him wince once more as a shrouding cloud passed the face of the moon, letting the light in through the narrow window to reveal his wounds. His face was bruised and his lip split, dark blotches dotted his shoulders, but even more were the razor thin scratches across his chest and abdomen that were still open and bleeding. Senet looked to her own hands and quickly wiped them on a nearby rag, removing the smears of red.

_"What did he do to you?"_ Senet hissed, tears stinging at her eyes.

"The foreman said I didn't work hard enough." He choked, "I'm the only one with a monster, which means I need to work harder. It seems I am to build the rest of the West Wing on my own."

"But…but this?" She asked, appalled, "Why? Did he whip your back as well?"

He weakly shook his head, "No, said my front was softer." He coughed, "The hurt would last longer."

Senet looked from side to side, making sure that they weren't being watched.

"Wait here." She whispered, pulling away from his side and retreating back into the hall.

Silence permeated the room for a long while, leaving him to fester in the slow burn of pain that the bruises and cuts inflicted.

"You are going to get my sister killed."

Gaiihl stared at the ceiling, one eye swollen shut.

"I'm sorry Adjo." He choked.

"She cares for you too much." A figure in a nearby bed sat up, merely a shadow in the dark room.

"How can I make her stop?" He coughed, hand lazily patting the Haxorus' plated head.

"I don't think you can." Adjo admitted silently, "If you hate her, she will be heart sick and reckless, if you love her, she will continue to take risks."

"I'm sorry." He repeated, the lump in his throat swelling, "I didn't know what h-happened here. I should have brought back an army."

"It can't be helped."

"What about your city?" Gaiihl asked, chest heaving from effort. "Are they still free?"

"Our little hamlet?" Adjo laughed bitterly, "Yes, but only because the 'city' my father ruled is too small to be bothered with."

"What will happen to us?" Gaiihl breathed, "I do not… we don't wish to depart yet. We don't want to die. Not now."

"Careful so that no one hears you talk like that." Adjo hissed, "The royal 'we' is more likely to kill you than anything. Work hard my friend, we will endure, three years of your absence we've endured already. The wait will be over eventually."

Gaiihl sighed and from the corner of his eye saw the figure lie down once more as Senet entered the room, carrying a small basin and rags. Without a word by either party, she tended to his wounds; the water stung but cleared the salty sand from his cuts and brought him some relief. Her hands were cool despite the heat that steamed through the castle and made the inhabitants feel as if they were walking through a sweltering fog.

"Senet?" He asked quietly as she dabbed gently at his forehead.

"Yes?" She answered.

His throat tightened. He wanted to tell her how he would make everything better, he wanted to say how they would escape and take back the city, how he would get her home and they would be happy again but the words wouldn't form and the only thing he managed to choke out was-

"I love you."

"There." Kenzie said happily, "How do you feel?"

Marcurio popped from his Pokeball and shook his fur, fluffing it as he stood on the counter at the Pokemon Center.

"Much better." He said, tail wagging.

Gaiihl was brought back to the present and he shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"Are we heading to the gym now?" He asked, floating along behind Kenzie as they exited the red and white building.

"Yeah, are you ready?" Kenzie asked, "I mean, if you're distracted by something, now's the time to get it off of your chest."

He shook his head and grinned assuredly. "No, I'm fine. What do you say? We have got this, right?"

"We've got this."

Kenzie grabbed his hand and pulled him onto her shoulder as the three broke into a run towards the Museum, dodging pedestrians that frequented the cobblestone roads and the warehouses turned studios. She was nearly about to run through the door when she was forced to skid to a stop as a green haired boy pushed it open, eyes shooting up from the sudden movement.

"N?!"

He looked shocked at the mention of his name and didn't look sure how to act. He fidgeted uncomfortably under her gaze and looked as if he was trying to say something, averting his gaze back to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Gaiihl huffed, crossing his arms.

N jumped, as if he was startled and he stared at the Yamask. He'd never had a Pokemon speak to him like that before.

"I'm taking the League Challenge." He said, "With the help of my friends."

"I thought you were all about Pokemon Liberation?" Kenzie asked, giving him a strange look, "Isn't battling exactly what you want to stop?"

"It is…b-but I need to do this for now. So that it will be easier later." He defended, looking back to the ground.

Kenzie scrutinized the boy in front of her, he seemed so much more comfortable and outward when talking to Pokemon, but whenever she addressed him he pulled back into himself and looked to the floor. Was he scared of her? She watched his mouth moving silently and stepped forward, trying to hear. He jumped again and stepped back, turning his gaze back up to her, looking nervous.

"I-I'm here because I want to see things that no one can see. The truths of Pokemon inside Pokeballs. The ideals of how Trainers should be and a future where Pokemon have become perfect… Do you feel the same?"

"Well…no one can be perfect." Kenzie said, confused by his question. It sounded so naïve. "But… Yeah, I would like for bad trainers to treat their Pokemon better-"

"Is that so?" He interrupted, taking out a Pokeball. "Then prove it, my friends and I will test you."

Kenzie nodded to Marc and the Zorua leapt forward as the crowd cleared around them to make room for the battle that was about to happen. N threw the Pokeball up into the air and from the orb a small bird Pokemon emerged from the bright red flash. The Pidove fluttered to the ground and puffed out its gray feathers, trying to appear larger. Marcurio growled and waited for his first command as the two trainers stared each other down, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"Marc, use Incinerate!"

"Quick Attack, Pidove!"

Marcurio hadn't even sucked in a breath to use Incinerate with when the Pidove zoomed in and landed a sharp jab on the Zorua. Marc yipped painfully but was able to take a breath and exhale a gout of fire at the Pidove. The bird Pokemon let out a squawk and flapped its wings furiously, backing out of his range.

"Hey! Watch it!" He squawked, landing further away to ready his next attack.

"You were asking for it!" The Zorua laughed.

The Pidove grumbled and, bid by his trainer, took to the air and flapped his tiny wings. Due to some unseen power, the wind only grew fiercer beneath the small Pokemon and surged towards Marcurio, lifting him off of his feet and sending him plummeting back onto the cobblestone. He scrambled to his feet and growled, eyes turning dark as he let loose his Snarl attack, the sound waves darkened into shadows that shot off towards the Pidove, knocking him from the air. The Zorua zoomed forward and took a deep breath as the Pidove hit the ground and flopped around, trying to right itself just as Marcurio exhaled a gout of flames. The Pidove rolled backwards and weakly flapped to its feet, hopping back to N, wings dragging on the ground followed by the smell of singed feathers.

He carefully picked up the Pidove and drew him back into his Pokeball before throwing out another, a small drum-like Pokemon with the tail of a tadpole. The Tympole gave Marc an angry look and puffed out it's cheeks, the drum like structures vibrating noisily.

"Come on back Marc!" Kenzie said, letting the Zorua retreat. "Gaiihl, get out there and use an EnergyBall!"

"Dodge it and use Bubblebeam!" N ordered, clutching the Pidove's Pokeball protectively.

It seemed that the Tympole was unable to dodge, however, as it tried to bounce out of the way using its tail. It was obviously more suited to battling in the water and marshes instead of a cobblestone street. The Energyball burst around the Pokemon and sent it flying to its trainer's feet and N gasped out in surprise to see that the one move had already knocked it out cold.

"It's a water type, it has a weakness against grass type moves." Kenzie pointed out.

Gaiihl looked on dumbly, one hit and he'd already knocked it out? They were definitely more than ready for the Gym that stood behind the green haired boy who was drawing his Tympole back into its ball. N looked at the last Pokeball on his belt and took it in his palm. From the orb came a Timburr roaring and ready to fight, but before it could even get ready for a fight N dropped the Pokeball and crushed it with his shoe. The Timburr looked back with a shocked expression when he felt the hold of the Pokeball break.

"N?" It asked, turning his back to Gaiihl, "What…what did I do wrong?"

"You did nothing wrong." N said, kneeling down. "I'm the one who's done wrong. I can't put you up against them when you'll only get hurt like the others."

"But…I can do this!" He pleaded, looking back at Gaiihl, "He might be a ghost type but… I still want to fight for you. You're my friend."

"This is why I can't let you get hurt." He said, "I don't want anything to happen to you. Now go, you're free."

The Timburr looked up at N with sadness in his eyes before he turned and pushed his way through the crowd that had formed around the battle. N stepped forward and sighed, handing Kenzie the prize money.

"That's a funny thing to say." Gaiihl said as N passed him.

"What is?"

"You said that you don't want anything to happen to him. Why would anyone wish that upon a friend?" He asked, "You are supposed to wish many good happenings on them."

N pondered this for a moment before turning to Kenzie once more, having trouble talking again before he gathered his wits and took a deep breath.

"Right now my friends aren't strong enough to save all Pokemon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power…Power enough to make anyone agree with me." He said, not sounding menacing, but more like a spoiled child. "Now I know what power I need, I need Reshiram, the legendary Pokemon, that along with the hero, created the Unova region. It's my turn to become that hero—and you and I will be friends!"

And without another word he left, turning his back and disappearing through the crowd as he wound his way to the Pokemon Center.

"There is something wrong with him." Gaiihl pointed out, examining a piece of broken Pokeball.

"There is." Kenzie agreed, "He's up to something, but I'm not sure if he knows what he's up to either."

"You sound as if you are worried for him." Gaiihl said, floating up to her.

"That's because I think I might be."


	16. Chapter 16

The Trainer didn't know quite what to expect when Lenora's husband, Hawes, led her through the back room of the Museum and down a long hallway towards the arena where she would be taking her challenge with her partners.

"You'll have to find Lenora's Office and the Arena from here." Hawes said, pushing open a large set of wooden doors. "You're a smart kid; you'll find your way. Good luck!"

Kenzie's eyes widened when she walked into the high-walled room, her gaze passing over the largest library she had ever seen. Trainers browsed at bookshelves that towered high above them, some of them had to use ladders to acquire the assistance of flying and lithe Pokemon to grab books that were out of reach. There was even a second story that extended from the rims of the room, turning into one large balcony with a view onto the floor below.

"What is this place?" Gaiihl asked, gaping at the room of books.

"It's a library." Marcurio said, cutting Kenzie off before she could answer. "You can say they're the more _advanced_ form of your stone tablets."

He trotted forwards and jumped onto a shelf, kicking a book off and towards Gaiihl who only barely caught it. Gaiihl flipped it open and looked through the pages, it took him a moment, but he soon realized that the writing inside was nearly the same as the symbols that his people used to know in the past. How efficient books were compared with just carving on walls, there could be an entire temple's worth of knowledge in one bound stack of paper.

"Hey, are you here to challenge Lenora?"

Kenzie turned to find another Trainer browsing through books.

"Yeah, do you know how to get to her?" She asked.

"You've got to follow the clues." The Trainer said, "In some of these books are little slips of paper that are clues to get to her Office. I know where the first one is, I'll tell you if you battle me."

Kenzie nodded and motioned for Gaiihl to approach.

"You're on."

Gaiihl soon found out why the Gym challenge was actually a _challenge_. Their first battle against Cilan in Striaton didn't require nearly as much exertion on their part, each time they found a new clue nestled in between the pages of a book the Trainer that helped them to find it challenged them to yet another battle. Not only were the battles exhausting, but just traversing the massive library was a feat unto itself. The blue eyed trainer would uncover a clue about Patrat and then have to dash across the library and sift through the many books on the shelf that was dedicated entirely to the chipmunk like pokemon. She would run up the stairs, back down, and up again with the Pokemon following behind. Eventually the three stopped at an area near the center of the room that was clear of bookshelves and instead was cluttered with many tables and chairs for the patrons to relax in.

Kenzie uncapped the bottled water that was given to them at the previous gym and gave it to her two partners to share as they reviewed the many clues that they had been able to locate throughout the library. She sifted through the papers, putting them in order from the first clue to the next as Gaiihl and Marcurio rested on the table.

"Are you guys well enough for another battle?" Kenzie asked, tapping the stack of papers on the table to straighten them. "We can always come back tomorrow after you've rested some."

Marcurio got to his paws and shook his fur out.

"We've gotten this far already, there's no sense in going back now." He said, transforming into his human form and leaning back in a chair, tilting it back on two legs. "Besides, you've got _me._ There's no sense in going back to rest when I'm a guaranteed win~"

Gaiihl rolled his eyes and floated over to Kenzie to check on the Pokemon Egg nested securely in the cylindrical incubator in her bag.

"How's it looking Gaiihl?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

"It should hatch soon." He said, watching it wobble from side to side. "I remember hatching Khepesh's egg; it's only a matter of hours now."

"So, where's the next clue taking us?" Marc asked, looking at a few of the slips of paper.

"It looks like it's taking us to the back of the library." Kenzie said, tucking them in her bag before standing and brushing off her jeans.

"Then let's not waste any more time." He said, standing up from his chair. "You lead, I'll follow."

Kenzie nodded and waved Gaiihl along, walking towards the far shelves in the back of the library. It took a few tries to find the right shelf, but soon Kenzie found the book she was looking for. She pulled _Sweets for Pokemon_ from the shelf and flipped through it before finding another piece of paper tucked in between the pages.

"_From this bookshelf... Move two backward, move one to the left, move two forward,  
move one to the right, and move one backward... Now, where is it?_" Kenzie read aloud.

Marcurio spun around and counted the bookshelves, pointing to one and to the next, mouthing the hint before settling on one.

"This one, over here." He said, jogging over to look at the shelf. "Are we supposed to search this whole thing? Where's the arena?"

"Wait a moment." Gaiihl said, looking among the books. "These are all fairy tales, except for that one, up there."

He floated up and ran his hand along the spine of the book, _History of Literature: A Guide to the Unown Glyphs_. He smiled a little to himself and looked back down before trying to pull the book from the shelf only for it to scoot out halfway. Somewhere within the bookshelf there was a loud 'CHUNK-CLICK' followed by a series of 'CLINKCLINKCLINKCLINK' as the end of the book case fell away into the floor, revealing a doorway and a staircase that descended into the depths of the Museum. Kenzie looked side to side at her companions before she took the first steps down trailed by Gaiihl and then Marc as he took up the rear and the door shut behind them.

At the bottom of the staircase was a long, wide room with a small arena that she would describe as somehow being 'cozy'. It was set in a depression about a foot below the actual floor and the majority of it was made of smooth sandstone tile but some tiles had started to crumble and some weren't even there leaving large patches of dirt and knee-high grass. A small man-made creek ran diagonally across the arena and turned to a small pool in the middle where the Pokeball symbol was seen on the bottom, the image ripping with the moving waters. All in all the arena looked like the area right outside Pinwheel forest where they had spent so much time training and where they knew the territory by now. It seemed as if in order to counteract the tiring running around from the scavenger hunt Lenora had seen it fit to make it fairer by letting her opponents fight on their own home turf.

On the other side of the arena, there was a small series of steps that led up to a plateau where Lenora sat behind her desk, engrossed in some sort of ancient text. The book cases behind her were incredibly unlike the well-kept library upstairs. Books were piled on each other willy-nilly and papers were scattered everywhere, in the cases, on the cases, on her desk, on piles on the floor, everywhere. Slowly, the mass of teal hair on her head rose as she looked up to face them curiously, having just noticed that there was someone standing in her office.

"Ah! So you made it, huh, hon?" She laughed and set down the manuscript. "You sure got down here fast! For some trainers it's a multi-day scavenger hunt extravaganza."

"You can't expect to keep us here for that long." Marc laughed, adjusting his ponytail, "We've got things to do and places to go."

"I'd say you do." She chortled.

Lenora untied her apron and slung it over her desk, rolling her sleeves as she walked down the stairs.

"Well congratulations on making it so far." Lenora said, "But now you've gotta get through me and my partners honey, no holding back, hear?"

"You've got it." Kenzie promised, stepping down into the stadium and taking her place.

"Alright, then let's start. Make momma proud, come on Scout!" Lenora cried, tossing a Pokeball onto the field.

The Pokeball itself looked quite old and had some sort of dirt caked on it, only proof of how important her Pokemon were to her in her line of work when excavating ruins. With a cry, a Herdier burst from the Pokeball and shook her fur free of dust. Marcurio smirked and volunteered to go forward first, strolling onto the field and letting the illusion fade as he went.

"Scout! Take Down!" Lenora ordered.

"Use Incinerate, Marc!" Kenzie responded.

Marcurio took a deep breath and spewed a stream of flames at the Herdier as she charged for him but Scout was a seasoned battler and she knew when she needed to take a hit. She charged right through the flames and plowed into the fox, sending him tumbling over into a patch of grass. And for a few moments, nothing happened and the grass was silent.

"…Marc?" Kenzie asked, staring at the grass.

"Looks like a knockout to me." Lenora said.

Scout sniffed proudly and turned away, but just as soon as her back was turned the grass rustled and a dark shape shot out from the obscuring cover. Marcs paw steps were silent as he snuck in close and delivered a crushing Faint Attack, the Herdier hadn't even noticed that he was close until it was too late. She dashed forward in fright and tripped right into the pool of water, yelping and scrambling to climb back onto the other side, soaking wet.

"You little scrap!" She barked, shivering.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings." He snickered, ears twitching when he heard Kenzie's command. "Do you need help drying off?"

"Don't you even think about it, pipsqueak." She smirked and her eyes blazed with glee.

Scout jumped over the pool of water and dodged the bursts of flames that Marcurio sent her way, jumping this way and that, ducking low so that they barely singed her coat.

"Stand still!" He snapped, jumping back as Scout came in for a Bite.

"You stand still!"

Marcurio jumped straight up and onto her back to run towards the other end of the field when she landed a Bite on his fluffy tail. He stood on the other end of the pool and growled to himself as she chased towards him, readying another Take Down. He desperately shot flames at the oncoming Herdier, hearing the sizzling of the water as it steamed off of her coat, she had to be weakening by now, but he wouldn't be able to fool her again. After another Take Down like the first one, he'd be sent sprawling and she wouldn't hold anything back. In a split second he looked to the pool in front of him and the Herdier just above it before making his decision. Kenzie was so going to owe him for this one. Taking another deep breath, he jumped right into the pool as the Herdier jumped over it to try and knock him out. She skidded to a stop on the other side just as Marcurio leapt from the water and charged at her, maw aflame as he spat fire and crashed into her side in a Faint Attack. Scout tumbled and flopped to her side, panting and soaking wet. Slowly, she got to her paws, legs shaking as she staggered over to Lenora and pressed her face against the side of her leg in apology.

"It's alright hon." Lenora said reassuringly. "You did the best you could, I'm proud of you."

The Gym Leader quickly ran up to her desk and grabbed her apron and wrapped the soaking wet Herdier in it to dry her off. She sat down with the dog Pokemon and scratched her ears, bringing out a handful of Oran Berries as a treat and to utilize their healing properties. She let Scout lie where the Herdier was munching happily on the berries. Lenora stood again and took her last Pokeball from her pocket.

"You want a rest Marc?" Kenzie asked.

"Sure, make Gaiihl do some work for a change." He smirked, flicking a bit of water on the Yamask as he hovered past to the arena.

"Marcurio!" Kenzie whined in protest as he stood next to her and shook the water from his coat.

"Now you know what it felt like." He laughed, growling and nipping at the bottom of her jeans, tugging on them playfully.

"Come on, we've got a battle to win, stop fooling." She said, tugging her pants leg free with a small smile.

"It's your turn Simone!" Lenora said, letting Watchog from her ball to scurry onto the field.

"Alright, start off with an Energyball, Gaiihl!" Kenzie said.

"Quick! Use Hypnosis!" Lenora ordered.

Suddenly, everything seemed to move slower for Gaiihl. He'd nearly charged the Energyball when the Watchog darted forward, her eyes and the patterns on her fur glowing mysteriously. In an instant he blinked and fell to his back, eyes shut.

And when he opened them he was on his back in the desert.

"GAAaah!" He shouted, clutching at his chest as he bolted upright. "W-where am I? Kenzie?!"

He whipped his head from side to side and nearly jumped out of his skin when something black whipped at his face in front of his vision. He smacked his hands out in front of him to fend off whatever it was, and the sight of his hands only shocked him more. They were human hands. His heart skipped a beat as he stared at them, the same darkly tanned, grubby hands of a stone cutter that he'd known in life. He pressed his hands to his face, feeling his nose, his lips, his eyelids and hair…he was alive. He choked, a lump in his chest rising as he felt tears dot his eyes. And not only that, but he had _feet_! Arceus, how he missed having legs and feet.

Slowly he stood knees wobbly as if he hadn't used them in a while, and then a thought hit him with the weight of a cinderblock. Had the past two weeks been…just a dream? Turning into that monster, those battles, those fantastic inventions!.. Kenzie, Marcurio, and Lenora… He was surprised how the thought of them not existing made him hurt inside so badly, they were just his own imaginings. He'd never felt this way about a dream before, nonetheless people he dreamed about. He took a deep breath and looked up, gaze turning to the bright blue desert sky before something caught his eyes on their journey there.

It was home.

Suddenly his chest inflated with joy and in a split second he was sprinting towards the walled city, jumping over the irrigated pits that his people used to deliver water to the crops. He'd never been so happy and so sad at the same time, he could feel the wind in his face, the hot sand at his feet, and his own long hair trailing out behind him as he made his way through the archway and onto the main road. He skidded to a stop, heart beating fast when he realized what had happened the last time, but there were none of Sethikhamun's soldiers to imprison him, no sign of the destroyed houses and burned crops that he'd been too careless to notice before. He was about to let out a sigh of relief but then he realized that in addition to the lack of soldiers, there was no one else in the city.

He looked back to the fields, a confused look on his face; there were no workers out tending to the crops either. The city was deserted, not even Khepesh was at his side. Tentatively he made his way into the city, peering into houses and into the market stalls lining the roads. The foods and goods being offered were still fresh and the warm foods were still steaming in the shade of the overhangs.

"H-hello?!" He shouted, turning around in a circle. "Anyone?! Is anyone here?!"

A shiver went down his spine as only silence greeted him and he continued down the dirt road towards the castle, bare feet kicking up small puffs of dust. Walking alone in a city that was supposed to be home to hundreds sent a cloud of dread to obscure his thoughts, and whenever he turned a corner he looked over his shoulder, sure that he was being watched. Yearning to find shelter from the fear that was threatening to tread on his heels he ran up the castle steps and into the main hall.

"Father!" He shouted, "Mother! Are you here?!"

His voice echoed through the stone halls as he dashed towards the throne room. He panted heavily, gaze locked on the empty thrones in front of him as he fell to his knees. What was going on? What was this…just…_why?_

"My, my, my~ How unexpected." A voice hissed, "We did not expect to find you being the loyal subject. Did you decide to finally start bowing in our presence?"

Gaiihl stood automatically and his visage filled with a rage only barely known to him as Sethikhamun entered the room through a side hallway and seated himself on the throne, resting his chin on his fist and looking down upon the prince with a bemused expression on his face. His head had been shaved bald and not a hair could be found on his face, arms, or legs that were adorned with only the finest silk and jewels.

"Welcome home, Gaiihl." He said, "We hope that you-"

With a yell Gaiihl cut him off and charged at the throne, ready to pummel the cruel man to a pulp before a dark shape smashed into his chest and sent him sprawling back onto the floor. He looked up trying to catch his breath and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Four powerful, shadowy arms had sprouted from Sethikhamun's back and were writhing in the air behind him like restless snakes. He brought up his human hand and waved a finger, all of the doors in the room slamming shut tight.

"Tell us, do you know where you are?" Asked the Pharaoh, giving a smile that revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth.

"In _my_ castle." Gaiihl hissed, pushing himself back up to his feet.

"Mmmm close~" He mused, "Actually it would be _our_ castle but by saying that we would be wrong as well. You are in the Dream World and so are we."

"The…Dream World?" Gaiihl asked, "The device that Fennel gave us!"

"We possess one as well." Sethikhamun said, "And you have wandered into our dream, you are encroaching on our territory."

"I'm in a dream? But-"

"You are asleep." He said.

Suddenly Gaiihl clutched his arm in surprise as a sharp pain shot through him. Lifting his hand he found a set of bite marks on his arm, bright red. He jumped again and found another set only slightly higher up on his arm.

"Ahaha~" Sethikhamun chuckled with glee, "You've fallen asleep in a battle, haven't you? We suggest you wake up soon or risk losing~"

"How do you know that I'm just not a part of your dream, huh?" Gaiihl hissed.

"Because we saw you. We know what you are." He said, standing and walking down the steps from the throne. "We know _where_ you are."

Suddenly Gaiihl was pushed to the ground by an unseen force, he watched as Sethikhamun lowered one of his shadowy arms, and the further the arm went, the more he was made to bow until his forehead touched the floor.

"And right now, you are in our domain." He hissed with glee. "And we also know where a certain someone else is~ A beautiful servant girl with bright eyes…"

"Senet?!" Gaiihl gasped, trying to force himself back up, only managing to pull his nose an inch from the ground before he had to give back in.

"That's right~" Sethikhamun chuckled. "We have realized that we have punished you far too long. No, punishing _you_ does nothing to improve your subservience, even after we gave mercy. We let you live while your family perished, you drove me to take your life before."

Gaiihl strained his eyes, glaring at the man above him, mouth bared in a feral snarl.

"We have decided instead to punish the one who drove you to commit the crime." He said in a fake caring voice, "Senet is the true criminal here, she must be brought to justice."

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Gaiihl shouted, feeling a fire rise in his chest.

"We will find most suitable use for her." Sethikhamun said, "A beautiful girl like her-"

Suddenly the room went black and Gaiihl hissed as another bite landed on his arm, his eyes glazed over, turning to the deep red that belonged to the Yamask and he forced himself from the ground. He threw himself at Sethikhamun who cried out in surprise and rage. Gaiihl tensed his hands around the furiously glowing green energy that formed in his palms and threatened to engulf him, one bright light in the dark. With a guttural roar he unleashed the Energyball and it reverberated out as a powerful shockwave of grass type energy.

He opened his eyes to a shriek of surprise and he found himself floating in the arena, the Watchog out cold on the other side of the field. He looked around, startled at the sudden change of scenery before he realized how weak he felt. He drifted to the ground, noticing the bite marks on his arm, Simone must have been attacking him after he'd fallen prey to her Hypnosis.

"That was…that was one of the most powerful attacks that I've ever seen." Lenora stuttered, picking up the Watchog to make sure she was okay.

Kenzie dashed onto the field and pulled the Yamask into her arms.

"Gaiihl, are you alright?" She asked, gently lifting his arm to observe the bites.

"S-senet." He said weakly, "H-he knows where Senet is…"

"Who's Senet?" Kenzie asked, confused.

"Sethikhamun…he's found her…I-I can't l-let h-hi…"

"Sssh, calm down." She whispered, hearing his voice become weak. "Just try to stay awake, we'll get to a Pokemon Center soon."

He breathed heavily and nodded slightly, watching as Lenora approached them and handed over a thin badge.

"I've never seen a Pokemon fight as hard as you two, or a Trainer quite like you, Kenzie." She said, "You've earned this Basic Badge, and as a personal gift from me, the TM 67 Retaliate. It's my favorite move, though sadly you didn't really get to see it in action."

Suddenly the room shook as a loud blast and screaming was heard in the distance. Hawes suddenly burst into the room, glasses askew and covered in dust and soot.

"Lenora, dear!" He shouted, "Come quickly! Team Plasma is stealing our specimens!"

**Gaaah, I had so much fun writing this chapter. And for those of you who were wondering, Simone is a play off of 'Timon' the meerkat from the Lion King.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Wow! Over one thousand views! Thanks so much everyone! I'm not sure how that measures up on the site, but it's a huge accomplishment for me! You all have my appreciation for taking time out of your days to read my story, and please! Keep sharing and reading, it's you all who I write this for and the more of you that there are the harder I work!**

The small group of Pokemon and Trainers rushed up the hidden staircase and through the massive library, passing trainers and patrons who were hiding under tables and pressed against book cases as a response to the explosion they heard. Lenora shoved open the doors and a billow of smoke wafted in, the dark fog obscuring the hallway yet the Gym Leader wasn't deterred and she charged right in, her Herdier close at her heels. Kenzie covered her mouth and charged in after her, bursting into the main room of the museum where she found that the front door and part of the front had been blasted away by some sort of explosive. Rubble littered the carpet at the front of the museum and a few figures jumped over and ducked out the ruined entrance and broke into a run.

"Get back here with that!" Lenora shouted, noticing the missing Dragon Skull.

"Marcurio, Pursuit!" Kenzie ordered, "Follow them and stay out of reach!"

Marcurio nodded and dashed forward, his paws carrying him out from the museum and along the cobble street road after the Team Plasma members. Lenora clutched at her hair, looking around at her museum. The Museum was her pride and joy, and was often more of a home than her actual house, and now it had been not just infiltrated, but _desecrated_.

"Good day Lenora, find any good fossils lat….woah….what happened here?"

A man with a full head of neatly styled hair walked in, careful not to get any dust on his green and red striped pants. He straightened his red silky scarf and brushed off his shirt before letting a hand rest on the butterfly belt-buckle on his waist.

"Burgh!" Lenora rushed over, happy for some help, "Thank Arceus! Did you see them? Those Team Plasma members just ran off with my exhibit!"

"Team Plasma?" He asked, looking behind him, "You mean those guys wearing the oven mitts?"

"Yes, them!" Lenora turned around, "Ooohhh…. Just look what they did to my Museum!"

"Don't worry." Burgh said, patting her shoulder. "I'll go after them. You stay here and make sure that everyone is alright."

"I'll come too." Kenzie said, eyes bright.

Burgh was one of her most favorite artists, in fact, he was one of her idols. Since she started her journey she'd looked forward to challenging his gym, mostly because she was hoping to get critiques on her own artwork at the end. If only she'd brought more than three of her sketchbooks with her from home…

"Oh? Who are you?" He asked, fluffing his hair.

"This is Kenzie." Lenora said, "She just defeated my gym right before this happened. She's dealt with Plasma before."

"And one of my Pokemon is following them right now." She said, "He's tracking them now."

"Then I could definitely use your help." He said, taking something out of his pocket. "Your Yamask doesn't look too well. Use this and he'll be right as rain, love the scarf by the way~"

Kenzie gave a silent squeal at the compliment on the scarf she made Gaiihl and took the Max Potion from Burgh, tending Gaiihl's wounds. Almost immediately they began to heal and the Yamask felt a new vigor surge through him where before he was on the verge of passing out. He floated from Kenzie's arms and gave her a nod.

"Plucky little one, huh?" Burgh commented. "Come on, no time to waste. I saw them run off towards Pinwheel Forest."

He turned and sprinted out of the Gym towards the other end of town, the crowd that gathered to see the wreckage making a path for him to pass by. Kenzie followed close behind and Gaiihl zoomed along beside her.

"So what was that before?" Kenzie asked, "You were attacked with Hypnosis on the field and then out of nowhere you just…I don't know… _exploded_. You knocked out Lenora's Watchog in one hit!"

"Do you remember that thing that Fennel gave us?" He asked, looking serious, "For the Dream World? Well I went there when I fell asleep, and it turns out that I'd dropped in on Sethikhamun's dream."

"What?" She asked, "What happened?!"

"Long story short, I attacked him." He said, "But he's alive, and he knows where we are, _who _I am and who you are. And he's working with Team Plasma, Ghetsis specifically."

Kenzie scowled, "So what now? Is he after us? After you?"

"No, but…he knows where a friend of mine is." He said.

"That Senet person you mentioned, right?" Kenzie asked.

He nodded, "I can't let him hurt her."

"Then we'll just have to make it a priority to deal with Team Plasma before that happens, you know what that means, right?"

"We interfere with every little plan they make until Ghetsis and Sethikhamun decide to deal with us themselves?"

"Exactly, and so far, I think we've been doing that already."

"You two are quite the chatterboxes." Burgh commented, only understanding Kenzie's half of the conversation. "You're a psychic aren't you?"

She nodded, slowing down as they made it onto the road that led into the forest. The three of them strode into the shade of the forest and Gaiihl tugged the scarf tight around him. Kenzie's shoes scraped against the asphalt road that led through Pinwheel Forest, leaves crunching underneath as even more of them drifted down on top of them from the wide canopies.

"That's a skill that will be very helpful in this situation." He said, "You can just ask the Pokemon where they went."

"What Pokemon?" Gaiihl asked, "The forest…it's too quiet."

"Gaiihl's right." Kenzie said, "What Pokemon?"

Burgh halted in his tracks to listen and a sense of unease washed over him as the only things he heard were the leaves rustling in the trees.

"Even the bug Pokemon are silent…" He whispered, "Kenzie, can you sense anything out there?"

"I can try." She said, holding her palms out in front of her and closing her eyes, trying to feel and push in the air to feel a presence. "Nothing… they've all retreated back into the forest."

"Talk about Plasma having a bad vibe." He sneered.

"Wait! There's one-" Kenzie opened her eyes to find Marcurio running towards them from the forest.

"This way!" He panted, "Hurry or they'll run off again!"

"Kenzie, you follow him!" Burgh said, "I'll head down and try to cut them off before they get past Skyarrow Bridge!"

Kenzie ran into the woods after Marcurio, the little Zorua leading the way through the rough forest path. Gaiihl followed behind them, dodging branches and trying to float high enough to see if he could get a glimpse of the Team Plasma members in front of them. Kenzie jumped over fallen logs and had to duck under and through hollowed out trees that were home to many of the forest's bug type Pokemon.

"Sssh! Quiet! Go slow from here." Marc ordered, ears twitching as he listened for the Team Plasma Grunts. "This way, stay low."

Kenzie crept forward as silently as she could and peered through the underbrush. Four of the Team Plasma members were standing around and trying to catch their breath, and under the arm of one was the Dragon Skull.

"Do you think we can take all four of them?" Kenzie asked quietly.

"They only have six Pokemon total." Marc said, "Three of them have one Pokeball each, one has three."

"I think we need to risk it." Gaiihl whispered, "Burgh can probably hear a battle with the forest being so quiet. We can do this."

Kenzie stood and pushed her way through the bushes, one of the Plasma members jumping in surprise.

"Hand over that Dragon skull!" She ordered, trying to look intimidating and failing miserably.

The four Team Plasma Grunts looked to each other and started laughing and Kenzie blushed embarrassingly.

"I've gotten two Gym Badges!" She warned, "Hand it over and you won't have to see how I got them!"

"Come on kid, give it up." One of the members said, "Like you stand a chance."

"Gaiihl, let's start this battle." Said Kenzie.

"Oh, well…" He scoffed and looked to the rest of the members with a smirk, "Alright then kid, don't say we didn't warn you."

Gaiihl's eyes narrowed as the Grunt threw a Pokeball onto the field and a small crocodilian Pokemon snapped its jaws. As far as the Yamask was concerned, the Sandile didn't stand a chance. If he had to fight through every one of their Pokemon he would, just as long as it would distract Sethikhamun from Senet. It was mere moments later that the Team Plasma Grunts burst into laughter as their compatriot's Sandile curled up on its back, out cold.

"Shut up!" He hissed, returning the Pokemon to its ball.

"Guys, guys, don't be so hard on him." One of the others said, "It's not his fault he ever finished Trainer School, how would he know that ground types were weak to grass moves?"

They roared with laughter again and the defeated member slouched off to sit on a nearby rock, glaring at his 'friends'. He was soon joined by another member, and then a third and by that time no one was laughing as the Zorua stuck his tongue out, standing over the fainted Patrat that he'd just defeated to give Gaiihl a break.

"You all are a lot of morons!" The last one scolded, holding the Dragon Skull. "Fine kid, you might be able to defeat these idiots, but you've got no chance against me."

"Prove it." Kenzie said, crossing her arms.

"I'd like to see him try." Marcurio snickered, walking back to her and letting Gaiihl out to fight a round.

The Yamask floated in front of Kenzie, getting another Energyball ready. The Team Plasma member took a breath and threw his Pokeball onto the grass, a Patrat jumping from the orb just in time to dodge an oncoming ball of grass type energy that roared past and into the canopy. The leaves shook restlessly and showered down in an obscuring rain that Gaiihl used to his advantage. Scarf whipping around behind him, he charged another Energyball and shot it through the downpour where it hit the Patrat square in its fuzzy chest. The injured Pokemon rolled backwards and quickly pushed itself back to its paws just in time to be slammed back to the ground with another burst of shining green energy.

"Fine, get back here Patrat, you've done enough." The Plasma Member grumbled. "Alright, _other_ Patrat! Let's see how strong you are!"

The new Patrat appeared out of the red light that the Pokeball emitted and got down on all fours, glaring at the Yamask. Gaiihl almost felt sorry for the poor thing, it was obviously uncared for, did any of these people realize that Pokemon were more than just tools for battling? The scrawny Patrat darted forward and attempted to Bite Gaiihl who moved his tail just in time for the Patrat to try and sink its teeth into the gold mask. It flinched from the vibrations the metal sent off from the impact and dropped to the ground, shaking its head before running at the Yamask with full force, intending to tackle him. The Pokemon shot right through the dark gray ghost and into the ground on the other side.

"Oh come on you worthless pest! Do at least something to it!" The Team Plasma Grunt ordered.

There was a hint of hurt in the Patrat's eyes as it charged forward again, baring its tiny white incisors. Gaiihl took a breath and summoned an Energyball to his hand, it would be better for the both of them if he ended the battle now. Hopefully the poor thing would be released by its trainer after this. Gaiihl spun in the air and the Patrat charged past, flecks of dirt kicking up into the air from its tiny paws as it tried to skid around only to stop right in the path of the burst of energy.

The Grunt glared at the Yamask before his gaze landed on the girl and he sent out his final Pokemon.

"Sandile!" He commanded, "Use Assurance on the Yamask and then attack the girl!"

Gaiihl's eyes widened and he hurriedly attempted to summon another Energyball as the Sandile smashed his tail into the Ghost, slamming him onto the ground. He felt the breath leave his chest as the Sandile stomped over him and jumped at the Trainer, maw wide and dark eyes glinting.

Kenzie shrieked as the Sandile's teeth Crunched down on her arm, causing her to fall back in frightened pain. The Sandile snarled as she tried to force its mouth open with her other arm, she was panicking and trying to ignore the streams of blood that ran down her forearm.

"Get off of her!" Marcurio yelled, chomping down hard on the Sandile's tail.

The Sandile wasn't letting go though, in fact, it only snapped its mouth once more and Kenzie's vision was filled with bursts of color as she nearly passed out from the pain. Gaiihl pushed himself up from the ground and zoomed over to try and help the two of them, trying to pry apart the Sandile's snout to free their Trainer.

"No!" Marc shouted at him, "Don't let those thugs get away!"

"But-!"

"I can handle this!" He yelled, biting down as hard as he could on the Sandile's tail. "LET. GO!"

Gaiihl zoomed over and cut off the Grunts, brow furrowed and eyes filled with anger, he threatened them back with an orb of glowing energy and they looked to each other, as if trying to decide whether the Yamask really was strong or if they could run away and make it without getting injured. The fire in Gaiihl's large red eyes convinced them otherwise, as the Yamask was sure that he was experiencing an anger that only a Pokemon could know, a feral, protective instinct for his trainer. She fought for them just as much as they fought for her.

Kenzie thought that she was fading out again for a minute, that her eyes were playing tricks on her, because she could have sworn that the Zorua's gray coat was sparking. But as he tried to force the Sandile from her arm she realized that his coat really was sparking, bright white pinpricks of light that zipped up his fur and shot off at the ends.

"I said, LET GO!" He shouted, becoming enveloped in a bright white light.

Suddenly though, the light faded as the Sandile finally gave up and relinquished her arm and the Zorua dashed forward, slamming into its side and sending the Sandile flying back to its trainer's feet.

"Be lucky that I don't do that to you!" He growled at the Grunt, fur bristling angrily. "There's nothing keeping me from mashing you to a pulp right now!"

The Grunts backed away in fear from the talking Zorua, pressing themselves up against a ledge and into the muddy soil that it was made of.

"No!" Gaiihl warned, "Don't lower yourself to their level."

Marcurio growled bitterly and kept his gaze focused on the group as Gaiihl hurriedly floated over to Kenzie. He patted her eyes with his scarf and made her look at him.

"Ssh, it's going to be alright." He assured, floating down to look at her arm. "Sandile's teeth are sharp, but they're tiny. I was bitten by them plenty of times in the desert, it's not the cuts that hurt, it's the bruises from the force of the bite."

He rummaged around in her bag and found the Supply Ball with the first aid kit and grabbed the bandages, cleaning her wounds first with the alcohol, having to grip her arm to stop her from jerking back. How the tables had a way of turning when not even an hour before she had been the one tending to his bites. Kenzie leaned against a nearby tree and pushed herself to her feet with her uninjured right arm after Gaiihl had bound her cuts securely, she supposed that being on his own for three years in the desert gave him many of the skills that he possessed.

"What is going on here?!"

Kenzie jumped and looked around, finding an older man pushing his way through the trail and looking extremely out of place in a set of large, ornate robes.

"W-we were defeated by this Trainer, sir." One of the members squeaked. "They want the Dragon Skull."

He pushed past Kenzie and observed the bristling Zorua and the pinned Plasma Grunts.

"It's not important. We can afford to abandon the Dragon Skull. According to the results of our research, this is not the legendary Pokémon for which Team Plasma is looking. It is completely unrelated." He turned his gaze to Kenzie and her Pokemon. " But we will not allow anyone to disrupt our plans and get away with it. We will fix it so you never interfere with us again."

Gaiihl floated in front of her protectively, holding his mask like a shield as the robed man reached into the fabric to grab a Pokeball.

"Not another move!" Burgh shouted, bursting from a swath of grass that his Leavanny had cut through to make a trail, Lenora close behind.

"Just who do you think you are? Threatening a kid like that!" Lenora scolded, standing by Burgh's side. "You'd better tell us who you are and give me back my skull!"

The old man motioned to the member with the skull and the Grunt obediently walked forwards, setting it in his hand. He tossed it over to Lenora who cried out in disdain over a precious object being treated so roughly.

"I am one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Ghetsis, another of the Seven Sages, will liberate Pokémon with words alone! The remainder of the Seven Sages have ordered their compatriots to take Pokémon with full force! But the odds are a little against us now." He said, looking at the three Trainers, " To you, the Bug Pokémon user Burgh and the Normal Pokémon user Lenora, I say... Know your enemies, know yourself, and know you need not fear the result of a hundred battles... This time, we shall retreat quietly. To secure the liberation of Pokémon we will steal from Trainers! Even though you are Gym Leaders, we will not tolerate any further obstruction from you. In any case, we will settle this someday. I hope you are looking forward to that time as much as I..."

"You aren't going anywhere!" Lenora shouted.

It was too late, however, as a Grunt threw something at the ground with a lightning fast movement and everyone was engulfed in a noxious purple smoke. Marcurio quickly transformed into his human form and put his arm around Kenzie, Gaiihl doing the same to the other side, and they quickly led her out of the choking smog.

"Y-you-" Kenzie coughed, "-You nearly evolved Marc."

"I hadn't noticed." He admitted, "There was something more important on my mind."

"We need to make sure you see an actual doctor." Gaiihl said, pushing a branch out of their way as Burgh and Lenora followed close behind. "I'm sure if there're potions for Pokemon, you humans have to have something similar."

"Those creeps!" Lenora coughed, joining them on the asphalt road.

"You're telling me." Burgh huffed, "And they got away. Something tells me that we'll be seeing them again soon enough."

"Did you beat all four of them?" Lenora asked Kenzie.

"I didn't, Gaiihl and Marcurio did." She said, looking to her companions. "They really made me proud out there."

"You're hurt." Burgh noticed, "Have a mishap in the woods?"

"More like one of them had their Sandile attack her." Marc responded angrily.

The two Gym Leaders looked to one another, their expressions darkening.

"I'll call ahead and warn the other Gym Leaders about Team Plasma." Lenora said, "You should head back to your city and make sure that they're not wreaking havoc while you're gone. Warn the law enforcement and send out a notice to the trainers. Team Plasma will sink lower than any low."

"Right." He nodded, looking to Kenzie. "I hope to see you in my Gym soon enough, don't let them scare you off."

"Never." Kenzie said, looking determined now.

"Come on hon, let's get you three home. We'll get you treated and you can spend another night at my place before heading out." Lenora insisted, leading the way back to Nacrene City.

"How are you feeling?" Gaiihl asked.

"It stings, but Lenora says that the medicine the doctor gave me will make sure that the bites are gone by tomorrow." Kenzie said.

She walked from the bathroom and tossed her clothes at her bag, dressed comfortably in a set of pajamas as she lied down in Lenora's guest bed. Marcurio jumped up and turned around in a circle a few times before lying at the end of the bed and Gaiihl curled up on the part of the pillow she wasn't using.

"Kenzie?"

"Yes, Gaiihl?"

The Yamask stared at the ceiling, feeling comfortable and warm next to his friends as his thoughts wandered back to his dream, or more accurately, the nightmare he'd had.

"Do you think we would have been friends even if I weren't a Yamask?" He asked, hand trailing over the golden mask at his tail, feeling the nose, the lips, and the eyes. "If I were still human?"

"I don't doubt it." Kenzie said, turning over and giving him a small smile. "Why?"

"When I was dreaming, during the Gym battle, I thought I'd actually woken up. That this was the dream." He said, "And I…I realized… I'd feel horrible if anything bad happened to you. And then the Sandile… " He trailed off, still looking at the ceiling. "I wish we could have known each other back then. I didn't have many friends, sure, everyone knew who I was and I went around town all day. But I was the prince, no one could treat me like a friend except other royalty."

"No one except royalty like Senet." Kenzie said understanding.

"And her brother, Adjo." He said.

"You really loved her…didn't you?"

"I did."

"And you still do."

"I do."

"We'll find her." Kenzie promised, resting her hand over his smaller one. "I promise."

He turned his gaze to her, red eyes bright, so much happiness and so much longing in those red watery eyes of his.

"You know what?" Kenzie said, getting out of bed and turning the light on, grabbing her sketch book. "You sit there, I'm going to draw you."

"Oh…o-okay?" He laughed a little sitting up.

Kenzie planted her butt on the floor and crossed her legs, holding the sketchbook so he couldn't see. She sat there for a long while, drawing, erasing, and then groping the floor for the pencil that she actually held in her mouth the whole time. Gaiihl sat calmly, wondering exactly what she was up to, but it brought him back to the days when he was young and he sat still with his family while the city artists came in to sculpt them or paint their portraits before he got impatient and would run off for a break.

"There…" Kenzie said, admiring the picture. "I think I finally got it."

"I can't be that hard to draw." He laughed silently, trying not to wake Marc.

"I don't know." She said, handing him the sketchbook. "You are quite the challenge."

He rolled his eyes and took the book before his amused expression turned to one of faint surprise. He couldn't help but to give a short laugh, eyes wandering the page as if he was still trying to comprehend it. The drawing was neat and tidy, with clean, crisp, dark lines that arranged themselves into the picture of a young man sitting on the bed, dressed in a set of flannel pajamas with a sheepish grin on his face as if he were wondering exactly how to sit while getting a portrait drawn of him.

"Well…that…that's me alright." He said, grinning. He looked so strange in modern clothes, "But, I can't say it's _accurate _I mean…that's not what I look like."

"Isn't it, though?" She asked.

He looked up to find a knowing smile on her face, freckles dark, blue eyes sparking. He understood.

"I guess you're right." He said, "I suppose it is."


	18. Chapter 18

The dark crunchy leaves rested on the asphalt road through Pinwheel forest, the frosted grass and trees sparkled in the light of the early morning sun and the noises of waking Pokemon buzzed through the air. With a faint whistle the leaves took flight as a cold breeze whipped through the area and the large shape of a tiger-ish Arcanine bounded past, paws thumping on the road.

"Woohooo!" Kenzie shouted, breath white in the cold. "I am never walking again!"

She clung tight to the Arcanine's fur, almost buried in his fluffy coat with one hand clamped tight onto her hat to keep it from blowing off of her head. Gaiihl had wrapped his arms around her neck and his tail around her shoulder and pulled his scarf above his face, large eyes squinting in the cold wind that rushed past them.

"Oh yes you are." Marcurio said, having transformed into the Arcanine, "I'd never get a break otherwise."

He picked up speed and dodged the trainers walking on the road in front of them, a rush of fiery leaves trailing behind them as he skipped the bridge altogether and leapt over the river, landing hard and bouncing on his haunches before springing forwards again.

"Showoff." Gaiihl said, a smirk behind his scarf.

Marcurio spared a glance back and gave a toothy grin before bursting out of the cover of the forest, skidding on the tile platform and completely skipping the beautiful overlook that gave the three a view of the foggy Castelia City in the distance, and bounded into the gate separating them from Skyarrow bridge. However, the gate was small and a man in hiking gear stood right in their path, frozen to the spot as he saw the large Pokemon chaging towards him.

"Watch out!" Kenzie screamed.

Marcurio suddenly put on the brakes, trying to backpedal and in panic, let the illusion fade, sending the three sliding across the slick linoleum floor and into the wall on the opposite side of the gate. Kenzie sat, upside down with her back against the wall, her hair splayed over the floor and hat stuck over Gaiihl's head. Marcurio groaned, spread eagle on the floor with his paws pointing in opposite directions as he slid into the wall and bumped off of it.

"Are you alright?!" The Hiker jogged over, the receptionist leaning over the counter to make sure she was okay.

"Yeah, I think so." She said, looking upside down at Gaiihl and Marc before bursting out laughing in mirth.

The older man grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet and joined in on the laughter. He picked up her pack that had slid safely to his feet and handed it to her.

"You're a Trainer aren't you?" He asked, "You should take this with you."

He dug around in his pocket and took out a necklace on which hung large, sharp claw that looked like it had belonged to a large animal or a Pokemon.

"It's a Quick Claw, you know how some parts of Pokemon have strange properties and effects that sometimes remain even when they're gone?" He asked, "This belonged to a fast Pokemon once, and it's supposed to help you become faster as well, sometimes it will let Pokemon that are slow move first in battles or help a person to react faster. It…hasn't worked very well for me, you saw that." He laughed.

"Wow, thanks!" Kenzie said, taking the claw in her hands.

"You know, that will probably help in the Nimbasa gym battle after Castelia's Gym." He said, scratching his beard. "Elesa's an electric type trainer, it's hard to find a Pokemon faster than an electric type."

"Hey! I want it!" Marc piped up, trotting over. "Gaiihl already has his own item. And it's official rules to not equip Pokemon with more than one effect item, it's cheating."

She rolled her eyes and knelt down, tying the necklace around the fuzzy collar of fur that ringed his neck. He gave Gaiihl a smug look and turned to walk out and onto the bridge. Kenzie sighed and followed him, waving goodbye to the Hiker and taking her hat back from the Yamask.

"Just wait until you see this Gaiihl, you're not going to believe this." She said, "Skyarrow bridge is the longest in the Unova region, and you haven't seen a city as big as Castelia."

"Well, _my_ city was the biggest back in Ancient Unova." He said, skeptical, "Just how big…can it….be…"

Gaiihl's jaw dropped as they walked out onto the bridge, the city skyline visible in the distance. The skyscrapers towered up and pierced the clouds overhead, the noises of cars and industry reaching them all the way to where they stood. He zoomed over and looked over the bridge, marveling at the hight at which they stood, a magnificent ocean liner passing underneath and blowing a loud fog horn. He jumped back as he saw something zoom by beneath them and tentatively looked back over again to find a number of cars and trucks passing by under their level of the bridge. He gaped at the sheer _size_ of everything. His castle had been the largest structure in Unova at the time (counting the courtyards and gardens), taking up almost all of the Desert Resort in its prime and leaving the surrounding area to the village… but this city dwarfed even that.

"So what do you think?" Kenzie asked, hands in her back pockets.

"It's…it's mind boggling." He gasped.

"I'll race you there." She challenged, grinning.

"I'm in!" Marcurio shouted, taking off ahead of them already.

"Hey! Wait up! I didn't say start yet!" She laughed, turning to sprint after him, the soles of her shoes scraping the bridge as she took off.

The three of them sprinted as fast as they could over the bridge, or floated in Gaiihl's case. Kenzie took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of crisp fall air turning to winter and the salty breeze that wafted up from the sparkling waves beneath them, kicked up by the ship that was now rounding the bend in the distance. She was almost lost in the sensation before something pressed against her back and she had to slow down and wave her arms to keep herself from falling.

"Hey!" She shouted, "No pushing!"

"What do you mean?" Asked Gaiihl, who only just caught up with her. "No one pushed you."

"Then what was-" She was interrupted as her backpack gave a quiet cracking noise another 'shove'.

"The egg is hatching!" Gaiihl said, unzipping her bag and lifting out the incubator.

Carefully, Kenzie opened the lid and lifted the egg from the cylinder, feeling it wobble violently in her hands. Moving towards the guard rail, she leaned her back against it and sat cross-legged, setting the egg in her lap as a dark crack ran through the surface. By this time, Marcurio had become confused on why there was no longer anyone running behind him and ran back just in time to see the first piece chip away and pop out. Kenzie watched excitedly as another crack ran through the surface and a large portion of the shell fall off. A little clawed hand groped from inside the egg and pulled at the edges of the opening, caving it in and pushing out with a set of tiny white tusks. Gently, Gaiihl and Kenzie both began chipping away small pieces of the egg until the little Axew scrambled out, mewling and whimpering. It pressed its tiny body, wet from the yolk left in the egg, up against Kenzie to hide from the crisp air, reddish eyes wide and absorbing every little detail they could. Gaiihl unwrapped his scarf from his body and secured it around the newly born dragon to keep it from the cold, a faint smile plastered on his face.

"Hey there little guy." Gaiihl said, "I almost thought you weren't going to make it out of there~"

He sat with his back against a scrawny desert tree next to one of the few watering holes watching as the various Pokemon came and went in the heat of the midday sun, his feet buried in the cool clay-like mud. The Liepard and the Hippowdon, the Scraggy and the Darumaka, and now a little dragon sat under the shade of the tree with him. The Dragon mewed pitifully and pawed at the boy's bare stomach, the little hands pressing into his skin as it crawled close and curled up into his form. Gaiihl couldn't help but grin, he'd been carrying the egg he stole from the Haxorus for weeks, part of him wondered if it was a dud and had rotted. Each time he was ready to throw it away though, that blasted blue fox would show up and convince him otherwise and now he was thankful for that.

"Are you hungry?" He asked quietly, glad to have something to talk to besides that fox. "I think I have something you'll like."

He reached over to his bag next to him and rummaged around inside, bringing out a small knife and a large Sitrus Berry. As soon as the Axew saw it though, it did his best to grab it from the boy's grip.

"Ah-ah, no. No Khepesh." He said, using the name he'd planned on when he realized it would someday evolve into a Haxorus.

Khepesh stopped immediately and sat flat on his rump in the mud and Gaiihl couldn't help but to grin. He'd felt like an idiot when the Zorua had told him to talk to the egg, that the Pokemon inside would understand when it finally hatched, he supposed that it wasn't such a bad fox after all…maybe. The Axew whimpered but sat patiently as Gaiihl peeled the fruit and cut it into small bites, tossing away the inedible scraps.

"Alright." He said, unable to keep the mirth from his face, "Come get it, come on."

Khepesh quickly crawled forward and grabbed his hand with both of his paws, pulling it down and burying his snout in his palm, munching the soft fruit with his tiny teeth that weren't quite grown in yet. Gaiihl stroked the creature's back softly, wiping off the liquids from the egg to dry Khepesh's scaly skin before he reached into his bag again and brought out a small wooden box. His other hand being eaten out of, he fumbled with the case and opened it, revealing the red chain-link bracelet and harness. A giddiness rose in his chest as he slipped the bracelet on and it tightened comfortable over his wrist on its own. Shaking his hand to see how it felt, he took the harness from the case and took his hand away from the Axew who growled adorably in protest.

"Just a minute Khepesh, hold on." He said, placing the collar around his neck and leaving the bit in the case.

Khepesh paused as the chain fit itself snugly around his neck before he shook his head and looked up at Gaiihl with confusion before once again pulling his hand back down to devour the rest of the fruit. Gaiihl breathed out excitedly, his chest feeling like it had been filled with a balloon, and it seemed that almost every breath was a half laugh. The Axew hadn't rejected the chain, it had taken nearly two years but here he was with a dragon as his partner, an actual _dragon._ They'd have to start training as soon as the Axew was strong enough, he couldn't wait to go back home with a fully trained Haxorus. It had been nearly a month with no word from his parents by messenger Pidove, but he figured he was just too hard to find in the vast desert, that night he'd take out his star charts and start plotting his course back home, but first, a tests.

Gaiihl dropped the rest of the fruit on the ground and stood, walking a little ways away and leaving the Axew to much on the last few pieces. He took a deep breath, bare chest rising before he cast a glance at the bracelet on his wrist and then to Khepesh.

_Alright, alright… _He thought. _Khepesh, come!_

Nothing. He closed his eyes and shook his arm again.

_Come!_

He laughed excitedly when the bracelet on his arm glowed a bright red and the Axew looked up, the final piece of fruit in his little hands before he scurried over to his side with a questioning look on his face.

"You brilliant little monster!" He picked up the Axew and held him above his head. "You are brilliant! We have a long time ahead of us my friend. Lifelong partners, that's what we will be."

"Ssshhh, come here." Kenzie said, holding out a Pokeball.

The Axew looked at it curiously and tilted his head before waving his little arms, smacking his paws against the Pokeball. His claw pressed against the little button on the front and the orb popped open, drawing the dragon inside. Kenzie watched with anticipation as the red and white ball tilted from side to side before sealing with a click. Gaiihl smiled and took back his scarf, rolling it up and putting it in Kenzie's bag to wash later.

The Trainer and Pokemon strolled into the Pokemon Center to sign up for a room and drop off their things (and to throw Gaiihl's scarf into a washing machine). While they waited for Gaiihl's scarf to be cleaned, Kenzie let the Axew out of his Pokeball and watched him waddle around the room, getting used to walking on all fours and his hind legs.

"So…when does a Pokemon actually start talking?" Gaiihl asked, catching the Axew as it stumbled, "I'm a Pokemon and I can't understand a word he's said just yet."

"From what I've heard, it takes a few days for them to really communicate." She said, "Right now he's listening to everything we say, just absorbing all of the information he can. Then at some point it just all clicks together, like pieces of a puzzle and then he'll understand and start talking."

"Then you're bound to be a smart one." He told the Axew who was busy trying to grab his tail, "Just like Khepesh was."

"And you've named him too." Marcurio pointed out, "Kenzie did promise that if he was an Axew you'd name him."

"Right…" He said, grinning, "Wulfrum. It was the metal that we made our swords from."

"Oh! I know what that is, it's called Tungsten nowadays." Kenzie explained.

"I still like Wulfrum better." Gaiihl insisted.

Kenzie smiled, glad that Gaiihl was actually having a fun time. She thought back to when they first met, it would be nearly a month since she met him lost and alone in Relic Castle. There he was not unlike a frightened child, he jumped and scared easily and stuck to her side whenever possible. Now she could really see the person who he really was, who he used to be. It was even a rare occurrence to wake up and find him sitting on his own anymore, staring into his mask with teary eyes. At times, walking along with him and Marcurio, she'd sometimes glance from the corner of her eye and swear that she saw a tall boy with caramel colored skin and a mane of shaggy black hair next to her but when she actually took a double take she'd find the little Yamask floating and keeping up pace with his eyes wandering the landscape that he used to know so well.

Suddenly her Cross Transceiver gave a buzz and she stepped from the room to answer the call. Marcurio pricked his ears, feeling curious and listening in. The Zorua recognized Lenora's voice right away, but the other stumped him, though the accent reminded him faintly of the Ancient Unovians. Kenzie remained in the hallway for a few minutes after the call ended and Marc's ears pricked once more, hearing the unknown voice yet again, but this time he was sure the owner of it stood right outside the door.

"Gaiihl?" Kenzie asked, walking into the room, "I'd like you to meet someone, this is Iris."

Gaiihl looked up and his eyes widened slightly. After everything in the past day he'd completely forgotten about the meeting that Lenora had set between them. Iris looked just as surprised, walking forward and sitting down on her knees to level herself with the Yamask. She had the same caramel colored skin that his people once called claim to, as well as the red eyes that many of them carried still as Yamask. Her hair was a fluffy mass of dark purple that had been tied into pigtails and a ponytail, the end of which nearly reached down to her ankles while she was standing.

"Wow…" She whispered breathlessly, "It really is you, isn't it?"

Gaiihl looked confusedly at Iris and then looked to Kenzie, hoping she would intervene for him.

"Actually, Iris…" Kenzie said, taking a seat on the bed, "He doesn't know quite what the big deal is, and neither do I."

"Oh!" She said, "Right, of course! You want to hear the legend of the Village of Dragons! Hah, sorry, it's kind of awkward hearing a story about someone all of your life and then realizing that they don't know it themselves."

Gaiihl floated there expectantly as Iris took a worn leather-bound book from her bag and opened it on her knees, looking up and giggling slightly when she saw Wulfrum on his side chewing at his own tail.

"Well… the legend starts out like this." Iris began, "Long ago before the time when Celebii brought life to the harsh desert that was once Unova, there lived a prince…" She said, at this point turning the book for Gaiihl to see. Directly after the word 'prince' was the Unown G, no name, just the same symbol that adorned the Yamask's face. "And he and his family ruled over Unova, giving the gift of writing and reading to the people there. They were the Unown Family. One fateful day the Prince left his family, journeying deep into the desert for many days and many nights. There he wandered, until a blue spirit crossed his path. The spirit told him of a powerful monster that he could call to his side, and led the Prince deep into an oasis…"

"…You are trying to get me killed, that's it, isn't it? There are better ways to get my food from me you demon."

"Trust me~" The Shiny blue Zorua whispered, "If you die, I promise you can shave my tail~"

Gaiihl gave the Zorua an unamused glare as he looked down from the tree tops, right below them was a rough nest made of crushed grass, mud, and sticks inside which were seven bright, glistening eggs. The only catch? The two large, scaly monsters that stood guard over the eggs. The Haxorus had been committed to a restless vigil as they protected the nest, only stepping away to sharpen the menacing scythe-like tusks that protruded from the sides of their fang filled maws.

"No, I'm positive. You are trying to kill me." He whispered, "Nope. I'm done with this, I can find a Pokemon on my own, tha-AAaaaaahhh!"

The Zorua had shoved himself against the boy, sending him tumbling out of the tree and right into the large nest, thankfully, none of the eggs seemed to be harmed.

"Oh Arceus, protect me." He whimpered.

The Haxorus' gaze automatically locked in on the boy and they converged on the nest, swinging their sharpened tusks back and forth as they lowered their heads. If he could have pressed himself any further into the ground, he would have, his heart thumped at his chest and he clenched his fists in the grass, unsure of what to do except to say his prayers. He clenched his eyes shut as a roar pierced his ears…. And nothing came. He opened his eyes and sat upright to watch the two Haxorus dash off in pursuit of a large Hydreigon that wove in and out of the small forest oasis. Soon enough the sound of the charging dragons disappeared into the distance and without a second thought Gaiihl grabbed the largest egg from the bunch and booked it out of the forest and didn't stop running until he felt the sand at his feet again.

"After many moons of traveling by foot, the Prince and his Haxorus finally arrived home only to find that - had taken his precious city." Iris's finger traced the sentences on the page, passing under a name that had been completely crossed out to the point that the page was nearly torn through. "There the brave Prince was made to work, until one day he helped his friends to escape."

Bare feet padded silently and hearts beat frantically as a group of shadows flew through the West Wing of the Castle. Hardly a sound was made as they ran against the far wall, staying in the comforting grasp of the dark and avoiding the traitorous gaze of the moon who once gave him hope in the dark nights of the desert. Suddenly the lead member's hand shot out, barring the way of the others, some of which fought to stifle a gasp of fright. A large shadow loomed past them all, it's three eyes glowing in the dark as the Sigilyph floated silently into the opposite hallway and turned a corner. Gaiihl looked back at the group following him and waved them forwards, racing down the hall to the end of the corridor where he knew the dead end lie.

"What are those things?" Senet asked quietly, staring back as Gaiihl fumbled with the stones that made up the wall.

"Sigilyph." He grunted, tapping at the stones. "Sethikhamun…I don't know… _created_ them somehow. I saw them the other night, if they see you they let out this horrible noise and fly right to him."

"Someone must have found out." Adjo whispered furiously, "We shouldn't have come!"

"No!" Gaiihl hissed, looking back at the rest of the group. Nearly everyone had volunteered to come with him besides those who were too old to run. His heart ached when he thought of those left behind. "Sethikhamun will entomb us all alive with his wretched brother! We die here or we die tomorrow trapped like animals!"

"Are you sure it's even here?!" Adjo asked, looking over his shoulder before he started checking the stones with him.

"Yes! They made me build this entire corridor. Bad decision on their part." He said, tapping a stone and hearing a hollow echo. "I might have put in my own addition."

He looked back at the group and the bracelet on his arm glowed. Outside of the castle Khepesh lifted his head and shook the hay from his scales, cautiously making his way from the stables where he hid and to the outside of the same wall that the group was standing at.

"This is going to be loud." He warned, "You all need to move as fast as possible. Follow Khepesh out of the city through a break in the wall we made this morning. Do not stop running. Senet, Adjo, you two get to your city as fast as possible I don't care if you need to get a Rapidash from the stables and leave me behind with the rest of the group, you need to bring back an army. Understood?"

The group nodded their consent and Gaiihl focused his thoughts through the bracelet as it glowed sharply. Outside, Khepesh lowered his head and swung it at the stone, a loud boom echoing through the halls as the hollowed out rock crumbled and was pushed out of its place, leaving a large hole big enough for two people to slide through at a time.

"GO! GO!" Gaiihl ordered, ushering people through the passage.

He could already hear the Sigilyph's alarms going off deep in the castle and getting closer, their cries echoing off of the pristine walls. His blood rushed through his ears as he watched his subjects scramble through the hole in the wall.

"There's not enough time." He whispered to himself.

"Gaiihl?" Senet whispered, noticing the look in his eyes. "Gaiihl, don't! We have plenty of t-"

Gaiihl grasped Senet's shoulders roughly lifting her gaze to stare into his own.

"I need to make sure that you aren't stopped." He said, "They won't kill me, Sethikhamun would rather let me starve to death in that tomb than anything. Your city is three days journey away, one and a night if you hurry." He explained frantically. "You can come back for me, okay?"

"Come back for y- Oh no, no! I am not leaving you here! I'm-"

"Yes you are!" He yelled, tears welling in his eyes and before he knew it he'd pressed his lips to hers. The moment engraved itself in his mind, lasting an eternity and a split second all at once before he pushed her over to Adjo who forced her out of the passage.

"Gaaihl! No! GAIIHL!" Senet screamed frantically as Adjo slid out the tunnel and pulled her away.

"Come back for me!" He yelled in reply, "I'll still be here! I promise!"

He looked back as nearly half of the group still needed to make it out. With a set jaw and a straight face he picked up the chunks of rock that had blasted apart from the hollow stone and filled his pockets before taking off sprinting down the hallways. His breath burned in his lungs as he ran, collecting a trail of Sigilyph as he passed by each one, throwing rocks at some to get their attention so he would be sure that none of them could report back in time. His feet pounded below him as he dodged the few attacks they sent his way before he went sprinting down the front steps of the main hall and out the doors. The sound of the alarmed monsters echoed throughout the city and turned the peaceful night into bustling chaos, his mind was spinning and his heart was racing and finally it all just….stopped. He stood staring at one of the corners of the city walls, the furthest one away from the exit Khepesh had cut out, and he turned. Guards with frightful bronze masks rode on flaming Rapidash whose flames reflected in his golden-red eyes and an entire swarm of Sigylyph surrounded him in that tiny space. One boy, hardly a man, alone against an army.

"The Princess soon made it back to her city, and with the Haxorus by her side, she and her brother led an army against-." Iris continued, "But when they arrived, it was too late for the fearless Prince, for the harsh desert heat had taken its toll. Overwhelmed with sadness for the lost Prince, she ordered him to be brought to only the most beautiful place of rest. In a coffin of gold, the Princess and her brother led a group of loyal citizens far from Unova, searching for a final resting place. Along the way many people joined, thankful to the Prince who had freed them from the Pharaoh's rule until they halted in a lush valley full of life. There a Temple was built, and soon, a town. This town was named the Village of Dragons, for the Haxorus who fiercely protected the village and his Master, resting in his Temple. Thus began the reign of the Haxorus Family, formerly the Alomomola. And even today Dragon Village honors the Prince for the descendants of the original Haxorus roam the village freely."

**Wow! Probably the most flashback heavy chapter I've written! But there you have it folks! That's how Gaiihl came to be the way he is today!...or at least, mostly. ;)**


	19. Chapter 19

Gaiihl felt panic rise in his throat as he pressed himself against the stone wall that rose behind him, the sandstone rough against the palms of his bare hands. Silently, the guards spurred their Rapidash forward and on either side of him, one of them bringing out a set of iron clamps. Gaiihl glared at his wrists as they were chained together by the masked man and he was pushed forward by one of the Sigilyph that surrounded him and, knowing he was hopelessly outnumbered, he trudged along willingly. The guards rode in a silent ring around him, the Rapidash snorted, their flaming manes casting frightening shadows on the stone facades of the shops and houses that lined the streets.

He lifted gaze, watching as a few frightened faces looked out from the curtains covering the holes that were the windows. Some people were courageous enough to exit their houses, those few individuals lining the street and bowing as he passed by. Gaiihl felt a pain in his chest, wanting to say something, to tell them to ignore him and go back inside, that they would be punished later for their indiscretion against Sethikhamun. Soon even more came to join those few on the street and that's when he realized, they didn't care about the consequences because they were doing what was right. He huffed and held his head high, back straight, and squared his shoulders, if he was to walk to his execution, so be it. As the procession trudged along Gaiihl noticed just how far he'd run in that short amount of time, who knew just how far Senet had gotten already? Soon his bare feet left the dirt road, lifting to climb the marble steps to the Castle he'd fled from what seemed like only moments ago, and the people of the city watched as the last true heir to the throne of Unova was swallowed into the darkness of the castle, never to grace their presence again in this lifetime.

Gaiihl's eyes were hard as he was made to approach the throne, the previously dark room illuminated by burning torches held in sconces that lined the halls. In all of his life, he'd never seen a crueler face than the one in front of him nor one that disgusted him more. Sethikhamun had obviously been waken from his sleep to address the situation, large dark sags ringed his eyes and his skin was horribly mottled, bare of the makeup that he had his servants apply each morning. He had abandoned the lavish silks that he wore in public and wore a wrinkled pair of trousers and a tunic and on top of this the beautiful headdress that once rested on the head of Gaiihl's father. Sethikhamun stood, bloodshot eyes boring into the prince as he raised a bright golden scepter, looking incredibly out of place.

"Well what do we have here?" Sethikhamun sneered, "A foolish child stupid enough to try to escape?" He stood and walked forwards as the guards pushed Gaiihl to his knees in a forced bow. "And what exactly did you plan to do?" He laughed, "Use that unkept mane of hair to blend in and live with the dull minded lions to the east? It would be fitting, running away to live with the animalistic filth from which you were sired."

"Don't you dare talk about our family like that!" Gaiihl hissed, using the royal 'we'.

With a sharp cracking noise Gaiihl was on the ground, his vision blurred from the pain that erupted from the side of his head as Sethikhamun whacked his staff against the boy's skull. Roughly, the Pharaoh grabbed his neck and pulled him upwards.

"Tell me, little lion-man. How brave do you feel now?"

Gaiihl choked and grasped at the hands holding his neck before he was thrown to the side. The part of his brain that wasn't processing pain faintly wondered if he'd even make it out of here, if Sethikhamun was content with ending his life right there and then. He felt the scepter whip into his back and he cried out in pain. Sethikhamun circled the young man, looking at him with a curious detesting gaze before addressing the nearest guard.

"He is to be taken to the catacombs of the West Wing." He ordered, "Seal the room, no food or drink is to pass the doorway. _But_…" He said, "I wish you only to escort him there are two servants, Senet and Adjo, in the slave's quarters. They will be the harbingers of his doom, it is they who will seal the tomb, bring the two to me, now."

Gaiihl lifted his gaze from the floor, rolling onto his back and laughing, he didn't quite know why, but for some reason it was hilarious to him that for once the Pharaoh wouldn't be getting what he wanted.

"You think this is _funny_?" Sethikhamun hissed, a bewildered look on his face, "Have you gone mad?!"

"Maybe a little, yes." Gaiihl coughed, "_We_ would like you to know…" He said, "That _we_ know that the servants you are looking for are not here." He smirked victoriously, "_Our_ friends have left."

"You!" Sethikhamun pointed his scepter at another guard. "You check the servant's quarters now! And you! Scour the city!"

"_Our _friends are not in the city either." Gaiihl said, "They are far beyond the city by now."

The masked guard came running up from the hallway, armor clanging as he halted and bowed to the Pharaoh. "My lord! The slave's quarters are empty! There is no one there."

Gaiihl's heart soared, so even the elder members were able to escape in the confusion he'd created. There would be no one left for Sathikhamun to use, at least for now, and that meant that no one would be entombed. No one except Gaiihl. And for some odd reason, he was content with that. Sethikhamun's visage filled with rage and he paced back and forth, taking a moment to regain his composure.

"Y-you know~" Gaiihl laughed, "They actually escaped from the West Wing. You put _us_ to work on that part of the castle. _We_ might have added _our_ own touches~"

"STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!" Sethikhamun bellowed, landing a kick in the boy's ribs. "Fine, you think you can overthrow us do you?" He asked, ranting, "You think that your little friends, your _Senet_ will come back for you in time? Oh, oh no our friend. We may not kill you here and now, you will feel the knawing of hunger in your stomach and the thirst sucking your bones of marrow, but no matter how quickly they get here, you will perish."

"And just how are you going to do that?" Gaiihl grunted, feeling his side beginning to bruise. "You can't set a time limit on starving."

"Oh….can't we?"

Sethikhamun motioned with his hand and a guard brought forth an ornate silver box and opened it. Inside it were many small golden tubes, each one labeled with the name of a monster. Opening one he tipped it on its end and a red linked bracelet slid out into the palm of his hand. He pulled it on next to the one that was already wound around his wrist. Both bracelets glowed a deep red and from the front of the castle a pair of monsters entered the room, a large Eelektross and a Mismagius.

"Eelektross…" He yawned, "Use thunder-wave."

Gaiihl's eyes widened and he was unable to brace himself for the jolt of electricity that coursed through his body, the energy firing in his muscles and keeping them tensed and immobile as his body worked desperately to process it. He let out a few choked noises, cheek pressed against the floor as his eyes rolled around in their sockets as he attempted to see what was happening.

"Now be gone with you, beast." He said, "And the rest of you as well, if you value your life, leave the building altogether if you don't wish to die."

The guards and the Eelektross quickly fled from the room, the clanging of armor fading into the distance, leaving only the eerie noise of the Mismagius as its cloak like body flapped in a breeze existent only to her.

"This is Fate." Sethikhamun said, gently petting the Mismagius, "And she was our first partner, as soon as we met her, we knew we were destined to great things. And now, we will make sure that you will not have that pleasure. Fate, use Perish Song." He ordered, his back to Gaiihl as he strode from the room and shut the doors behind him, leaving only the monster and Gaiihl in silence.

Fate started to sing, as soon as the first foreign words reached his ears he felt his heart skip a beat, and then it beat faster, and faster, and faster until it felt like it would burst from his chest. He was stunned, his heart beating at ten times, a hundred times faster than it should be. It was then that he realized, the song was quickly ticking his time away, days, months, years he should have lived. Slowly, his heart decelerated back to its normal pace as the paralysis left his body. He coughed and gasped, trying to push himself to his feet as Sethikhamun reentered the room.

"You are a very privileged individual." Sethikhamun said, approaching him. "Not many are able to hear more than the first verse of Fate's song before it forces them into unconsciousness, at that point there's no real effect." He pulled Gaiihl to his feet and shoved him along, a mob of Sigilyph following, "But we have discovered that paralysis is rather effective in keeping her audience awake."

"W-what did it do to me?" Gaiihl asked, feeling weak.

"It is quite simple." Sethikhamun replied cruelly, the two walking down the stairs. "You have exactly three days to live. No more. No less."

Gaiihl's eyes widened and suddenly he was pushed sideways into a room, tumbling hard onto the stone floor before hearing a large stone being rolled into place.

"NO!" Gaiihl yelled and scrambled to his feet.

He threw himself against the large stone, not even a budge, even when he tried to roll it out of the way. He'd been sealed tightly in the bare room with nothing but a torch on the wall. He backed up and slid to the floor, sitting alone in the corner of the small room. So this was it, this was how he would die. He stared at the shackles on his wrists, feeling somewhere in the back of his mind how much time he had left as his heart slowly beat it away second by second. He was completely helpless to the situation; there was nothing he could do now. Gaiihl felt a lump rise in his throat as the tears silently slid down his face, sixteen years old.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, even that small noise sounding loud in the silence of the tomb. "I'm so sorry." He choked back a sob and buried his face in his hands, "Mother, F-Father… I tried…s-so hard." He sniffed loudly, "Please forgive me, _please." _He lifted his head and looked to the ceiling, a feeling of claustrophobia closing in on him. "I don't w-want to die like this… I don't want to be alone."

And so, for the next two days Gaiihl sat in that corner of his tomb, sometimes sleeping his time away to escape the reality of it all, sometimes crying until no more tears would fall, and at other times he felt a burst of confidence that would last him until he wondered what time it was. It was easy to think about, what was the life of one person when so many others were saved? Yet, the thought still terrified him. Later that night he pulled the torch from the sconce and put it out against the wall, not wanting the extra heat adding to the discomfort of an empty stomach, his dry throat, and the sweat already rolling down his chest.

"I did…a good thing… didn't I?" He whispered weakly to the darkness, his throat hoarse. "I did do a good thing…then why….why am I still so scared?"

"You are not scared."

Gaiihl jumped, not sure how many more frights his swiftly beating heart could take. How could anyone possibly enter the room without him knowing.

"Then what am I?" He asked. "Have…I gone mad?"

"Bravery is doing the right thing, even though you're scared to do it." The voice echoed back. "You are brave. Listen, can you hear anything?"

Gaiihl paused, the dark room becoming silent as well as his mind quieted itself, soon though, he heard…something.

"Is that a battle?" He asked aloud, voice faint as his breathing became shallow.

"Only the aftermath."

"Who won?"

"Senet."

Gaiihl gave as much of a smile as he could bear, the sides of his lips twitching upwards as he listened harder and he felt a burst of happiness as he recognized a voice from upstairs.

"Senet…" He whispered, "She…came...back for me… Tell….tell her…..I….tell…."

And then there was no more. Slowly a soft glow filled the room as Fate floated over, the gems on her chest glowing hauntingly in the dark. She showed a faint interest in the body, the glow reflecting off of its glassy eyes, the light gone from their depths.

"Because of you, I have been freed." She said, telepathy echoing around the small room. "I have one last order to carry out. Be warned. Sethikhamun has laid a curse on your people, a second life will be given, for he desires the satisfaction of taking it from you himself for what you have done." The ghost pokemon blinked patiently, almost as if waiting for a response. "But this is my gift to you, Gaiihl Yama Basiri, for good must not go unrewarded. A balance must be maintained. So here you shall sleep for a thousand years, more, until you awake. I give you strength, for your fight has not yet ended."

And Fate began to sing once more, a melody of life, she could see the music in the air, the notes twirling in a dance of light. Her voice faded as the hymn came to a close and she gently lowered herself against Gaiihl's chest, though his heart had stopped beating minutes beforehand he let out his final breath, a wisp of air that darkened and curled in the light of the Misdreavus' powers. The wisp was tossed around the room as a lost snowflake on a breeze, pieces of shadow daring to slither into the light and take hold. Slowly, the form grew until the shape of a Yamask solidified from the shadows and a twinkling light shone in the dark, glowing brightly until, with a clatter, a golden mask fell to the floor. Fate swooped down to pick up the mask and swathed the Yamask in her cloak-like form, taking the unconscious monster to the far corner of the room.

"Your journey has just begun."

And with that, the light from the orbs faded and plunged the room into darkness once more, mere moments before a shaft of light lit up the tomb as a stone slab was lifted out of the way, Fate was gone, and the Yamask slept soundly in the corner of the room. A thin line fell from the opening in the ceiling as a rope was thrown down, a person sliding down with it. Adjo's golden eyes scanned the room before they fell upon Gaiihl's form. He rushed forwards the long braid bouncing against his back, noticing the smile on his face, Adjo returned one.

"Gaiihl my friend, we've returned, we're going to get you out of here." He said, patting his shoulder, "Quickly, grab onto my neck, we can leave."

He looked up to the opening in the ceiling and then back to his friend, resting silently against the wall with his chin resting on his chest, the corners of his lips frozen in a slight smile.

"…Gaiihl?" Adjo leaned forwards, "Gaiihl, are you alright?"

No response. Gently, Adjo reached forwards, to tilt back the boy's head and to brush the shaggy black hair away from his eyes. He stared silently at his friend, the sightless eyes looking at something far off in the distance. Adjo looked away and clenched his eyes shut, his bottom lip quivered, yet he held his straight face as he reached forwards and closed the Prince's eyes.

"Come, my friend." He said, tying a foot hold in the rope before carefully lifting the body, holding him over his shoulder. "Let us go home."

Adjo stumbled over to the rope and slipped his foot in the loop before tugging on the end, an unseen group of people upstairs pulling up Adjo and the empty shell, leaving the real Gaiihl curled up in the shadows. The Yamask sighed in his sleep, waking many years later to the sound of trickling sand and the dull thump as a girl fell from the ceiling.

**Yeah, I cried while writing this chapter. ;3;  
So now Gaiihl's story is out there, or at least, the majority of it. Next chapter we're back to our normal schedule of meddling in Team Plasma's business!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey everyone! Thanks for keeping up with the story and reading so far! It's thanks to you guys that I'm continuing this, and the more viewers I get, the more you can be sure is still coming! Please help spread the fic around, share it with friends, on sites, anywhere! And please remember to post reviews, a little encouragement goes a long way for me!**

A chilling wind swept through the streets of Castelia city, the only refuge from the oncoming winter being the warm, golden rays of the sun that every so often cut through the white clouds that attempted to blot out the light. Workers, business men, and shop vendors bustled to and fro down the city streets trying to make it on time to some location or another. Walkways were crowded, streets were jam packed with cars, and bike paths were moving fast as cyclers zoomed by, it seemed the only place that wasn't moving was a small group gathered at Unity Pier. Pokemon battles were common and popular in the city, to some it was their business so when a small battle broke out at the edge of Unity Pier a group of workers came sprinting out of the Battle Company and, seeing an opportunity, Passerby Analytics even sent out a few agents.

In the middle of the group Kenzie stood facing a tall boy with dark brown skin. His dreadlocks whipped in the wind that the sea sent in bursts, the spray from the ocean flying around them as the water crashed against the concrete pier.

"Alright Wulfrum! Finish him off, use Dual Chop!" Kenzie shouted, her hand on her head to keep her hat from flying off.

The Axew darted forward on all fours, his hand-like paws thumping on the tiled walkway as he charged at the Pansear. The tusks on the side of his face that had grown exponentially in the five days since he hatched began to glow with a purple-ish blue aura. The orange monkey Pokemon had barely any time to react, having been thrown onto his back by a previous gout of blue dragon fire that Wulfrum had spat at him moments before. The small dragon shook his head from side to side, the energy shooting off from his tusks and flying like two glowing blades, hitting their mark and sending the Pansear skidding into a railing.

"Fine." The dark skinned trainer sighed, taking out a Pokeball and pulling the Pansear back into its protective hold. "A promise is a promise, I'll see whatever this 'dance team' is about, but this Mickey guy better be good."

Kenzie grinned and walked over to shake his hand, "It was a pleasure battling with you Raymond."

"No problem." He said, smirking and handing her the prize money. "See you around."

The small crowd clapped at the end of the battle before dispersing, though some of them dashed off towards the sidewalk where yet another battle was being held between two Clerks. Kenzie smiled, pulling the collar of her coat up higher in the cold as Wulfrum frantically ran over and climbed up her front to next himself in the warm hood of her coat. She let out a laugh, reaching back to pat him on the head.

"Cold out there isn't it?"

"Too cold." The Axew replied, curling up in the fur lined hood. "I don't like it."

"Well don't you worry." She said, walking towards a nearby restaurant. "We'll rest up for our Grym battle tonight and tomorrow we're heading out to Nimbasa. The desert is much warmer and I think it would be nice if we stopped by Relic Castle again for Gaiihl." She looked to the Yamask floating beside her. "Gaiihl?"

"Oh!" He started, wrapping his arms in his scarf and crossing them in front of him, tail curling tight around his mask. "Yes, I'd…I'd like to go look." He said, "I want to see if Senet might be there, or…well, anyone else I knew."

Kenzie frowned sympathetically and patted his back. "Hey, cheer up." She said, "Iris might not have known what happened to Senet, but we've at least cleared up a lot of things." She hooked her gloved thumbs in her front pockets. "Your people survived, _you_ saved them. And all of the Gym Leaders in Unova are keeping Plasma under tight watch. There's no way that Sethikhamun will be able to find Senet on his own, not with security tightened up as it is. Ghetsis is going to want to keep as much help around as possible."

"Right…" He said, taking a deep breath. "We'll find her. And Adjo." He smiled up at her slightly, "Just have to think positive, right?"

"You've got it." Kenzie grinned and pushed open the door of the Chinese restaurant. "Hey Marc! Have our food yet?"

"Got it all here." The transformed Zorua replied, holding out the bags containing their order. "Ah, it's nice being back in Castelia. Spent a lot of time in this city, I was born near here."

Kenzie walked up to the counter and paid for their food, handing over a portion of the prize money that Wulfrum had just won for them. Meanwhile, a small child belonging to one of the patrons waddled over, noticing the fluffy tail beneath Marcurio's coat.

"Puppy!"

"Wha-" He turned his head just in time to see the little girl yank his tail. "Wait, kid, don't-!"

The bags of food went flying as the Zorua was forced to drop his illusion, now victim to the curious toddler who was busying herself with pulling his ears and tail. Kenzie gasped and splayed her hands, the bowls and boxes that had tumbled out of the bags froze in mid-air like a movie put on pause as she tried her best to use her psychic powers.

"Quick! Quick! Grab it all!" She ordered, "I can't hold it like this!"

Gaiihl panicked and flew up, quickly pushing the items back into the plastic bags, nearly getting all of it in before Kenzie had to let her powers fade and a Styrofoam bowl of soup tumbled to the floor the contents spilling all over the place.

"Oh…so close." Wulfrum said, paws on the top of her head as he craned up to look.

"Sorry…" Kenzie squeaked to the cashier.

"Come on kid, get off!" Marcurio whimpered, trying to struggle out of her grip. "I'm vicious! I'm terrifying, I'll bite!"

Gaiihl struggled to float over to Kenzie, handing her their food before carefully freeing Marcurio from the child's grip as her mother trotted over and apologized, taking the giggling toddler back to their table.

"Oh my poor ears…" He whimpered, "They'll never be the same!"

"Stop being so dramatic." Gaiihl said, happily taking the new bowl of soup from the clerk behind the counter and placing it in the bag to replace the one that had spilled. "You've been in battles against Pokemon but you can't handle a child?"

"Other Pokemon don't yank my tail and pull my ears." Marcurio muttered, "I thought you said I'd evolve by now, Kenzie." He said, "Zoroark don't have to deal with breaking their illusions when their tails are pulled, they don't have one."

"Well… Pokemon normally evolve after a big fight when they need the energy or in a desperate situation." She explained, nodding thankfully to Gaiihl who held the door open for her as they exited. "And these battles haven't been entirely challenging, not everyone goes through the League Challenge so their Pokemon aren't always up to scruff. Know what I mean?"

"So you're saying I have to wait until a hard Gym Battle?" He grumbled, transforming back into a human once more. "Fine, I guess I'll just have to take a few hits in Burgh's gym."

"Actually…." Kenzie started, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand. "I…wasn't going to let you fight in this one."

"What?!" He protested, "Why not?!"

"You're a dark type Pokemon." She said, pushing the door to the Pokemon Center open with her side, "Bug type moves wreak havoc on dark types. You did great when we were training in the Battle Company building but I don't want to risk you getting hurt by not just a bug Pokemon, but a bug Pokemon trained by a Gym leader, even if you know a fire type move."

She flopped onto the couch in the lobby, the small seating area arranged around a glass topped coffee table and a large flat-screen television hanging on the wall. Wulfrum crawled from her coat hood and stretched before busying himself with climbing all over Gaiihl and invading his personal space. The Yamask didn't seem to mind though, it reminded him of the days when he was training Khepesh. Kenzie spread the food out onto the table as Marcurio grumbled and took a box of noodles and a pair of chopsticks, eating with a sour expression on his face. The Axew looked at the food curiously, climbing up onto the table and sitting down in front of one of the boxes before he shoved his entire snout in it, munching happily.

"No, don't do that." Gaiihl said, putting down his own food and floating over to Wulfrum. "You will be making yourself sick."

Wulfrum sighed and took his snout from the box, rice stuck everywhere. "Okay…"

Kenzie grinned, setting drinks on the table. Ever since Wulfrum had hatched, Gaiihl had automatically taken the dragon under his wing and the Axew was hesitant to leave his side, even more so when he started talking only a day after he'd hatched. Not only that, but she was happy to have his expertise when it came to raising the dragon, how to train it, and how hard she as a trainer should be encouraged to push him.

"You will just have to be our 'last resort' then." Wulfrum hiccupped, looking to Marcurio. "I don't know how good I'll do…"

"You've trained hard." Gaiihl insisted, "It won't be a problem for you, I have not seen another Axew like you since…well…in a long time." He corrected himself, thinking of Khepesh.

Wulfrum gave him a grin before shoving his snout right back into the box. Sometimes they never learned. Gaiihl rolled his eyes and returned to his own food, sitting next to Kenzie.

"To our soon to be victory." Kenzie said, raising her cup.

"You've got it!"

"They won't be standing a chance!"

"Yeah…alright." Marcurio gave a slight smile, even if he wasn't battling, it wasn't like he could root against his team.

Full and rested, the Pokemon returned to their Pokeballs in preparation for the battle at Burgh's gym as Kenzie dashed from the Pokemon center and down the street, nearly tripping as she turned the corner and raced to the entrance of the Gym. She jogged to a stop as Cheren walked out, surprised to see him there.

"Kenzie!" He said happily, looking triumphant. "Check this out. My third gym badge~ Are you heading in?"

"Yeah, we've been training for almost the entire week." She said, "Got a new member added to the team too."

Cheren grinned, "So do I, better watch out when we battle next." He laughed, "Well, good luck. I softened up his Pokemon for you though~"

"Yeah right." She grinned, "We don't need any softening up done for us thank you~"

Suddenly, Burgh strode from the gym and locked the door behind him, looking relieved when he saw Kenzie.

"Girl, you got here just in time." He said, "And I'm glad you stuck around too." He noted to Cheren. "I just got a call from Iris at Prime Pier, she says that Plasma has shown up again and they've taken some girl's Pokemon."

Gaiihl popped from his Pokeball, a serious look on his face that Kenzie read plainly, they were on the right track if Plasma was showing up here in Castelia city. Cheren reached in his bag and took out a Supply Ball, a bike materializing from its depths. Kenzie did the same, now extremely thankful for the Harlequin who had given it to her a couple of days ago. With the Yamask's tail securely wrapped around her arm, Kenzie took off, cutting through stopped traffic and zooming towards the Pier with Cheren and Burgh behind her. The tires of the bike bounces as she hopped the curb and rode along the walkway that led to the coast, finding the sign for Prime Pier, she cut a sudden turn and rode down to the end. Her bike made a soft clicking noise as she braked to a stop next to Iris and a blond haired girl whose face was red from crying.

"Bianca?" Kenzie asked, pulling her bike back into the Supply Ball.

Iris looked up, having been comforting Bianca as they waited for help to arrive.

"Gaiihl, Kenzie! Do you know her?"

"Yeah." Kenzie said, giving Bianca a hug. "She's a friend."

"Oh K-Kenzie…" She sniffed, "It's horrible! I-I wasn't s-stuh-strong enough, they took m-my little Ophelia! Team Plasma t-took my Munna."

"Don't worry." She said comfortingly, "We'll find them and get Ophelia back."

Bianca nodded, wiping her tears away as Cheren rode up, Burgh right behind him. Bianca lifted her head to greet them and gasped.

"THERE!" She yelled, pointing behind them. "THIEF!"

The groups gaze whipped around to meet the eyes of a Team Plasma member who looked to just be minding her own business as she walked along the Pier. However, on hearing Bianca she took off in a split second, sprinting as fast as she could and even risking diving through traffic to get to the other side.

"Don't let her get away!" Burgh ordered.

Cheren wasn't about to let that happen, not even waiting for Burgh's orders he did a complete U-turn on his bike and set off in hot pursuit of the silver-clad thief. One of the Pokeballs on Kenzie's belt wiggled and in the burst of red light Marcurio appeared, quickly transforming into an Arcanine.

"Let's go." He said, kneeling down low enough for Kenzie to jump on, Gaiihl clinging to her shoulder.

Marcurio took off in a sprint, leaping clear over the traffic and sniffing the air, following Cheren's scent and soon catching up with him.  
"Is that the new team member you were talking about?!" He asked, awed.

"For your sake, no." Marcurio replied, looking amused.

The Zorua turned Arcanine soon overtook Cheren and continued on in his breakneck pace, Kenzie clinging tightly to his fluffy fur as he leapt across the street again in attempt to cut off the Team Plasma member. Marcurio came to a halt, letting Kenzie jump from his back before he let his illusion fade, the Trainer and her Pokemon standing in front of a group of three Team Plasma members that had appeared to aid the other from a nearby building. One quickly drew a Pokeball from his belt and threw it at the ground, a Sandile materializing in front of Kenzie. Gaiihl forced Kenzie back as he jumped in front of her; he wasn't going to let the incident in Pinwheel forest happen again. The two other grunts took a step forward, the Pokeballs in their hands growing at their touch.

"Don't worry about them!"

Kenzie looked back, seeing Cheren's bike skid to a stop with Burgh close behind.

"You take that one." Burgh said, "And we'll deal with the other two!"

"Alright Gaiihl!" She said, stepping back to give the battle more room. "You know what to do!"

Wulfrum popped from his Pokeball, curling back up in Kenzie's hood in order to observe the battle. The enemy Sandile growled, dark eyes glinting as the street lights lit up all down the streets as the sun began to set. The light from Gaiihl's Energyball reflected off of the windows of the buildings surrounding them as he waited for the Sandile to strike. Suddenly, the crocodilian Pokemon darted forwards, maw wide in an attempt to bite the Yamask only to get a mouthful of the grass type energy that Gaiihl flung in his direction. The energy burst in the Sandile's mouth, causing him to roar in anger as he went in for another snap. The Yamask dodged to the side, the audible crack sounding near the side of his face as the Sandile's snout clamped shut. Gaiihl grabbed the Pokemon's closed snout, his ability causing the tan Pokemon to be wrapped in gauze as the Yamask threw him to the ground.

The Sandile struggled to roll over from its back and once it did it was met with a sharp pain on its nose as the Yamask formed a Shadow Ball in his fist and flung the punch towards the Pokemon. The Sandile let out a crackling growl that resembled falling sand before it took another bite at Gaiihl, snapping his tail up in his sharp teeth. Gaiihl let out a cry and formed another Energyball in his hand, letting it go at close range. He felt a bit of backlash from his own attack yet managed to hold his ground when the Sandile's maw opened limply, the Pokemon out cold. Gaiihl winced, inspecting his tail that held the golden mask and was somewhat disturbed by the shadowy liquid that oozed out that he assumed was his blood.

"Gaiihl! Are you alright?" She asked concerned, noticing the blood.

"I'll be fine." He said determinedly. "We'll deal with it later, the battle isn't over."

Within moments yet another Sandile was on the field and it automatically became victim to yet another of Gaiihl's Energyballs. This one possessed the same tactics as the last and when it darted forward to take a bite at the Yamask, Gaiihl held out his golden mask, the Sandile chomping down on the metal and then immediately regretting its actions as it quickly backed away. The force of the snap had jarred the Sandile, leaving Gaiihl the perfect opportunity to let loose another burst of sparkling grass type energy. The Sandile quickly retreated to its trainer after the last hit, already on the verge of collapsing as the Plasma Grunt drew it back into his Pokeball.

Kenzie dashed forward and took Gaiihl into her arms, the Yamask handing comfortably onto her shoulder as she took out a potion and sprayed his wounds as Wulfrum climbed into her pack to grab a bandage for him. The Team Plasma members didn't stand a chance against the Gym Leader or Cheren and his three gym badges. The Grunts quickly retreated into the building from whence they came and Burgh cast Kenzie a confused look that said 'Do they really think going into a building will help them?'. The three trainers and their Pokmon followed them inside.

"My word, if it isn't the Gym Leader, Burgh."

Burgh's eyes narrowed and Kenzie scowled, letting Gaiihl go to float beside her.

"Ghetsis." Burgh said in simple greeting, "So, what would you say is the guiding principle of Team Plasma, anyway? Take what you want from people?"

Ghetsis smiled, "I have no idea what you are talking about. We persuade Trainers to free Pokemon of their own will. Very rarely it is that we are forced to take Pokemon away from hurtful and abusive trainers."

"Well we know for a fact that you stole my friend Bianca's Munna!" Cheren protested, "And she didn't deserve that! Give it back!"

Ghetsis' gaze scanned the Grunts that had retreated inside, finally landing on one of them.

"You." He ordered, "Return the Pokemon."

"But si-"

"DO IT."

The Grunt bowed his head and handed the Pokeball over to Cheren before walking dejectedly to the elevator on the far side of the room to join his companions.

"Tell me is everyone here familiar with the legend of the founding of the Unova region?" Ghetsis asked, changing the subject.

"Of course." Burgh replied, "Everyone knows that story. Two warring brothers, two sides to a war, and their one dragon split in two, black and white, in order to be with the brothers. In the end everyone was unified and Unova was created."

Ghetsis gave him a look that was not unlike one that an adult would give to a silly child.

"The truth is this..." Ghetsis explained. "The white dragon appeared before a hero who sought the ideal/true way to knit together a world full of warring people. This white Dragon-type Pokémon shared its knowledge-and bared its fangs at those who stood against it. Together, the power of this Pokémon and the hero brought unity to the hearts of everyone in the land, and that is how Unova was created."

"And what does this have to do with anything?" Burgh asked, frowning.

"Team Plasma shall bring back the hero and that Pokémon to Unova once again! If we can win people's hearts and minds, we can easily create the world that I-I mean, Team Plasma-desires!" He explained.

"You're crazy." Cheren hissed. "Come on Kenzie. Let's get back to Bianca."

"Very well, submit to your opinion and be on your way. But you….girl… you look familiar. You and your Yamask." Ghetsis observed.

"We started out journey from Nuvema town, we saw your speech there." Kenzie replied, her face stony and emotionless.

Suddenly an Ultra Ball dropped from beneath Ghetsis' robes and fell to the floor, rolling and shaking madly as red light threatened to burst from the seal. Quickly, the Team Plasma leader attempted to close his hands around the Pokeball as it burst open in a blast of red light and darkness filled the room. Gaiihl floated in front of Kenzie protectively as Marcurio and Wulfrum took to defending her other sides.

"It's Trick Room!" Marcurio growled, "It's an illusion, I would know!"

Cheren and Burgh moved in closer to Kenzie, their own Pokeballs at the ready in the dark room.

"Sethikhamun!" Ghetsis ordered, "Return!"

A slow, throaty laughter filled the room, as a wind picked up from nowhere and kicked sand into their eyes. Kenzie and the rest of the trainers and Pokemon clenched their eyes tight out of reflex before opening them again and finding themselves standing in the middle of Ancient Unova, right outside the pristine steps of Relic Castle. Gaiihl looked down and sure enough, the illusion had affected him once more as well, turning him back into his human form.

"Stay back." He said, putting his arm in front of Kenzie and the rest of the group, "Can you understand?"

Cheren and Burgh nodded, still shocked from the effects of the Trick Room. In front of them, Ghetsis looked around wildly, trapped in it as well.

"Sethikhamun!" He snapped, "We have no time for your grudges now! You may deal with them later! We have more important things to do!"

"Why wait until later when we can deal with this now?" A voice echoed around the desert, "It will be much simpler this way."

Gaiihl flexed his hands and two orbs of dark energy started to swirl from his tanned palms, the Shadow Balls crackling with black lightning as he backed up further with the group.

"Hah! You think your measly attacks will harm us?" Sethikhamun's voice laughed, "We are more powerful than you, we have evolved, you are no match. Not even a fly, no…" Then the desert faded to nothing again, and Gaiihl felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as a voice whispered in his ear. "You are merely a little lion-man~"

"ENOUGH!" Marcurio barked angrily, eyes glowing with a fierce blue light as he took control of the illusion himself, "You can't fool us!"

The darkness sped away to the corners of the room as Marcurio replaced the illusion with an exact copy of the room they had been in before, revealing the Pharaoh standing before them. The shadowy arms that sprouted from his back were frozen in shock and his face held a similar expression as Gaiihl charged and let loose the orbs of ghostly energy at him. He stumbled backwards, it was clear that he was rather powerful if the energy didn't send him flying back into the wall. Gaiihl wrapped his hands around the collar of his shirt and slammed him back into the wall the rest of the way.

"WHERE IS SHE?!" Gaiihl screamed at him, fury obvious in his eyes, "WHERE IS SENET?!"

"She's fine!" Sethikhamun stuttered, surprised that he was the one who was being man handled. "We can't harm her! She's a dear friend to a close ally and if I were to do anything Team Plasma's plans would be ruined! She's been befriended by-"

The Pharaoh was suddenly cut off by a red string of light that emanated from the Ultra Ball in Ghetsis' hand and his form shimmered, his face morphing into the shocked, sharp-toothed grimace of a Cofagrigus before being sucked inside. Ghetsis took advantage of the stunned silence and quickly left through the front door and faded into the crowds of passer by making their way home. Kenzie tentatively walked over to Gaiihl, somewhat intimidated by him now. He was nearly a foot taller than she was and fairly muscled from his tasks in life, though they were often interrupted by thin raised scars. Gently, she rested her hand on his shoulder, taking notice that the scarf she'd made him was still wrapped around his neck.

"Gaiihl?" She asked, voice quiet. "Are you okay?"

He slowly turned to her, red-golden eyes welled with tears and he pulled her into a hug, sobbing sighs of relief into her shoulder as she was drowned in his mass of shaggy hair.

"She's o-okay…" He said, the tension leaving his body. "S-Senet's safe…" He shook his head in her shoulder, "He can't hurt her. He cama…Yama yamask."

Marcurio was slowly losing his grip on the advanced illusion that he'd taken control of and he slumped over against Kenzie's leg, causing Gaiihl's form to flicker and reveal the Yamask underneath the fake human shell. Kenzie wrapped her arms around the Yamask, thankful that he didn't have to worry anymore, but it was still a mystery on where Senet actually was.

"Well that was…intense…" Burgh said, finally lowering the Pokeball. "What was-"

"It's a long story." Marcurio said, slumped on the ground and panting.

"Well… at least it wasn't a complete waste." Burgh said, kicking himself for not nabbing Ghetsis while he could. "We got back the stolen Pokemon."

"Which reminds me," Cheren cut in, "I need to go and return it to Bianca. Good luck on your gym battle."

"Thanks Cheren." Kenzie replied, watching him walk out the door.

"Well… it's gotten late." Burgh said, "But if your Pokemon are up for it, I suppose I have time for one last battle tonight."

"You're on." Marcurio said, lifting his head up from the floor. "No sweat."


	21. Chapter 21

Kenzie shivered as a chill crept up her spine when she exited the building that had previously been Team Plasma's hideout in Castelia City. After Cheren left to go and return Bianca's Munna, the trainer with the pixie-cut hair accompanied Burgh throughout the rest of the building where they had seen multiple Team Plasma members escape to. The Trainer and Gym Leader were dumbfounded when, floor after floor, everything was either packed up, shredded, discarded, or in some cases, burned to get rid of the evidence that any trace of Team Plasma had been there in the first place. Better yet, none of the Grunts were anywhere in sight and Burgh was left to conclude that they had escaped out of a back entrance while they were distracted by the Trick Room illusion crated by Ghetsis' Cofagrigus, Sethikhamun.

Burgh gave the young trainer a small smile and offered his arm as the two walked down the street and back towards the Gym where he'd promised her the last battle of the night.

"So what's your plan after this, huh?" He asked, "Heading to Nimbasa tomorrow? Elesa's a good friend of mine, I designed most of her clothes~"

"Actually, we were going to set out tonight." Kenzie replied, wondering how the City, so crowded in the day, could become so deserted at nightfall, "We're going to head to Relic Castle again and camp out there for the night. "

"Ooooh, that creepy old place? No thank you~" He laughed, "Uh, no offense to your Yamask that is." He added, seeing the dusk ball on her belt wobbling.

"Careful what you say." She warned playfully, "Your bug type Pokemon might end up taking the heat for it."

"Hah, bug type Pokemon are more sturdy than you know, honey." He said, "You remember that if you need an extra member on your team."

He came to a stop in front of the Gym and took out a ring of keys that jingled as he turned the key in the lock and opened the glass doors.

"Now you wait here for a minute while I go and get things ready, the doors will open for you once it's all done. It'll be just a minute!" He said, walking in and letting the doors close and lock behind him.

Kenzie crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the building to keep out of the way of the bursts of wind that raced down the empty streets. She yawned and checked the time before noticing a suspicious movement out of the corner of her eye as a figure emerged from a dark alleyway and made his way towards her, hands in the pockets of his long trench coat.

"Hey kid." He said, "Awful late for a gym battle…isn't it?"

"Burgh is getting things ready for the last battle of the night." She blurted, sure that this guy was one of those creeps that she heard about that prowled through the cities at night.

"Ah….well…. good luck with that then." He said, eyes hidden behind his dark sunglasses before he suddenly pulled something from his pocket, threw it at her, and took off.

Kenzie shrieked and covered her face as Wulfrum shot out of his Pokeball in defense, though the culprit was already down the street. He stopped and turned around, cupping his hands over his mouth.

"THAT'LL LOWER YOUR OPPONENT'S ACCURACY!" He yelled, "I HOPE IT COMES IN HELPFUL!"

And with that he ran off, laughing as if it were the funniest thing in the world. Kenzie gave the figure a strange look as he disappeared into the shadows and bent down to pick up the object. She brushed off the thin silver disk and couldn't help but to start laughing too.

"I don't get it." Wulfrum said, "What's so funny?"

"I….I just got… _Flashed_." She laughed, reading the label on the TM. "TM 70. Flash."

She grinned and stuffed it in her pocket upon hearing the click of the lock open behind her as the lights flashed on in the Gym behind the doors. She clicked the buttons on the other two Pokeballs, letting the resting Pokemon out just as her gaze locked on a peculiar sight in front of her.

"….REALLY?!" Marcurio barked, "A WALL OF _HONEY?!_" His glare shot to Kenzie, red eyes glinting, "I am not walking through that."

"I don't think we can, at least, not yet…" Kenzie said, stepping towards the wall of golden liquid, "There's a gate in front of it…." She looked up, noticing that the two poles that stretched the honey across were lit up red. "I think we need to find a way to unlock it."

"What about this?"

Kenzie turned to Wulfrum to find the small Axew struggling to climb atop a circular yellow platform that rose nearly a foot from the floor. Jumping on, the Axew's weight pushed it down into the floor and there was a sharp 'ding!' as one of the lights on the poles turned green. Kenzie smiled, looking back up to the gate.

"Alright everyone! Spread out, let's see if we can find that other switch!"

The Pokemon all nodded in agreement and spread out, bolting down hexagonal corridors that reminded Kenzie of a Combee hive.

"Found it!" Gaiihl yelled, pressing down on the button that activated with a 'click!'

"Alright, yeah. You found it." Marcurio praised sarcastically. "Now we have a wall of sticky honey to walk through. _You_ might not mind, but you don't have fur to clean out when it's all done." He huffed, looking to the gate as it lowered into the floor.

"Now hold on just a second." Kenzie said, "I want you and Wulfrum to use Incinerate."

"And what good will that do?" Marcurio asked, giving her a skeptical look.

"Just trust me on this." She said, grinning.

Gaiihl backed off and floated to sit on her shoulder while Wulfrum and Marcurio stepped forwards and, on the count of three, sucked in a deep breath and exhaled two gouts of fire at the wall. The golden liquid crackled and popped as the flames cooked it and slowly the spot became a rich amber brown. The two Pokemon stopped and stepped back to observe their handiwork, the caramelized wall of honey gleaming in the lights.

"Alright, your turn Wulfrum, use Dual Chop! Everyone, get ready to jump!" Kenzie ordered.

Wulfrum's tusks began to glow and he shook his head from side to side, shattering the honey with the blades of energy. Quickly, Kenzie dived through before the honey could ooze down and cover the opening, rapidly followed by Marcurio and then Gaiihl and Wulfrum as the Yamask swooped down to pick up the small dragon to help him jump through. Marcurio quickly fluffed out his fur and turned around in circles to inspect his back and tail for any honey that might have latched on.

"So, how many times do we have to do that?" Wulfrum asked, dropping to the ground.

"It…looks like a lot." Kenzie said, staring at even more gates in front of them. "Well, it wouldn't be a gym if we didn't have to do a little work."

"Let's split up again and try to find the switches." Gaiihl suggested, watching as everyone chose a corridor to run down and look as he went down his own.

Gaiihl smiled to himself, reminded of days long by when he was a child racing through the halls of his castle.

"ADJOOO." He yelled, despite trying to creep through the halls. "Where are you...?"

Even though the castle was large from the start, it was even larger to the small children that were playing hide and seek inside the comforting stone fortress. To Gaiihl it wasn't just his home, it was a whole different world despite the fact that it wasn't even finished being built. He was born seven years ago in one of the rooms and still he hadn't discovered every nook and cranny perfect for hiding in or for creating places to keep his toys and treasures secret. Suddenly his head whipped around when he heard a giggle and a devilish grin crossed his face, revealing his missing front teeth. He ran over to one of the niches that lined the walls and held large statues of monsters, Pharaohs, and his own ancestors long past, and climbed in under the legs of a suit of armor.

"Thenet!" He groaned, struggling with his speech impediment, finding the girl huddled up in the corner, hands over her mouth to stifle the giggles. "We were looking for Adjo."

"I'll help you look for him!" Senet offered, climbing out of the niche behind him and swishing side to side to make her dress billow out.

"We can find him on our own." He replied, sticking his tongue out at her. "But you can follow if you want to."

"You talk funny." Senet said, following after him.

"We do not!" He protested, "You talk funny. Why do you thay I inthtead of 'we'?"

"I dunno." She said, "Maybe it's got somethin' to do with how my daddy has a city and yours gots an entire…ummm."

"Nathon?"

"Yeah, nation." She said, "It's about bein' equal to the people in our city or somethin'. Daddy fixes it better if he knows what's goin' on."

"We gueth that maketh thenthe…."

Gaiihl was shaken out of his reverie when he heard the sound of cracking honey once more and he flew through after the other three members of his team.

"Hey, get your head in the game." Marcurio said, batting the ghost with his paw. "We've got work to do. We're almost there."

"Right… sorry." Gaiihl said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was just reminded of home is all."

"Well if it helps I'll steal your dinner later tonight, how does that sound?" The Zorua replied, a feisty glint in his eyes. Maybe the days of annoying the boy all over the desert and back were gone, but it didn't mean he couldn't now~

"Hah, no thanks fox." He smirked, flying up to rest on Kenzie's shoulder. "So what's the big plan for this battle?" He asked as Kenzie rounded the corner to find a large set of stairs that no doubt led to Burgh.

"Well, I was going to send you out first." She said, "Don't use your Energyball against them, it won't do much damage to the bugs at all. Keep hurling your ghost type moves at them and you'll be fine." She looked to him, "And don't be afraid to retreat, take what you think you can and then come right back. That's when I'll send Wulfrum out."

The little Axew looked up, having gotten lost in his own mind before he heard himself being talked about.

"Wulfrum, after Gaiihl comes back, if he needs to, you need to get out there and use your fire type moves." She said, "Bugs are really weak against fire type moves and I know for sure that Burgh uses a Leavanny, those are grass and bug type so it'll be quadruply effective."

"Right." Wulfrum said, "Fire."

"And if we're out of options, that's when you take the stage Marc." She said, looking to the Zorua as his eyes lit up and he cast an illusion over himself to appear human.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be rooting from the sidelines now let's go." He said, unceremoniously picking up the trainer and slinging her over his back as he made his way up the stairs.

The Zorua turned human set Kenzie down as they reached the top of the stairs, standing on one side of a large arena that stretched to the wall where Burgh was waiting at the other end.

"Glad you could make it!" He laughed, "I was wondering if you quit and went home! I…" He paused, "You're not covered in honey, how'd you manage that?"

"We just used a little ingenuity." Kenzie said, not giving her secret away. "…Why were there walls of honey in the first place?"

"Because honey is good for the skin darling~" He laughed, taking a Pokeball from his belt. "Now, are you ready to get this started?"

"No problem!" She said, "Gaiihl, you're up!"

The Yamask hovered onto the field after handing Kenzie his scarf, noticing the strange look of the floor as Burgh sent out his first Pokemon a Whirlipede that seemed to be missing one of the larger spines bounced onto the while tiles. In some places the tiles turned to strange shapes to accommodate the circular depressions that were spattered about the arena, each one holding s thick liquid of a different color. Gaiihl reached down and felt the floor.

"…Canvas?" He asked aloud, pressing the taught fabric with his hand.

"Ah! You like it?" Burgh asked, noticing Gaiihl's curiosity, though not understanding the Pokemon's words. "My gym arena is comprised of tiles of canvas, I turn battles into art! Pokemon step in the paint and their battle is recorded all over the arena from their footsteps, the splatter from moves, and even rips, burns, and tears in the canvas all tell an important story of our battle together! Now, let's get this started!"

The edges of the ring lit up red, turning yellow, and then green with a ding as the battle commenced and Gaiihl threw out a fistful of blue fire as the Whirlipede jumped up into the air, dodging it altogether, and started to spin rapidly. Landing back onto the canvas arena it bounced and zoomed towards Gaiihl and right through another wall of blue flames that the Yamask sent its way. The Whirlipede burst through the flames that singed its tough outer shell, blue sparks flying off as it twisted in the air and the long spines on its back began to glow a sickly purple, a signature trait of Poison Tail. With a violent twist, the spines slammed into Gaiihl and sent him bouncing along the canvas floor, spattering paint as his arm sloshed into one of the depressions.

"Nice work Vincent!" Burgh praised, "Keep it coming! Use Struggle Bug!"

The Whirlipede landed with a wince due to the burns on its hide and it began to spin again, zooming through different colors of paint as it went and leaving a tire-track pattern as it rolled around the arena and right towards the Yamask. Gaiihl was back in the air and, prompted by Kenzie, let loose a Shadow Ball that blasted off of Vincent's side, causing him to wobble and veer away from his original target and to go crashing into a puddle of green-blue paint. Taking advantage of the situation, Gaiihl summoned a purple aura to his hands that writhed and rippled before he cracked it out like a whip, the Hex sending the enemy Whirlipede bouncing out of the circle and back onto the arena with a splash of color. Suddenly the Whirlipede began to Screech, what a quiet noise was at first became a harsh tone that threatened to make the ghost dizzy. Gaiihl clamped his dark hands to the side of his head and clenched his eyes shut to drown out the noise but as soon as it stopped he was unable to dodge another hit from Vincent's glowing purple spines. Gaiihl was sent flying and splashed into a pool of maroon paint, his mask bouncing away across the canvas.

"Gaiihl!" Kenzie yelled with worry, "Get up! Come on back!"

Gaiihl pressed his hand to his head, jarred from the last attack before he noticed the missing weight of the mask on his tail. He gasped, taking his hand from his head and leaving a large handprint, he whirled around to find that Vincent had blocked him off from it. The Whirlipede glared as if daring him to come closer.

"Give that back!" Gaiihl cried, a hint of panic seeping into his voice.

"You're going to have to get through me to get it." Vincent replied, spines glowing purple once more.

"I'm only warning you one more time!" Gaiihl yelled, "GET OUT OF MY WAY."

"Uh oh…" Marc commented from the sidelines, nudging Wulfrum back from the ring with his sneakered foot. "Get down."

"What?" Kenzie asked, focusing intently on the battle.

"You've got to earn it." The Whirlipede said, a menacing glare in its eye.

"I SAID-"

"Kenzie…." Marc said, "Get down!"

"GIVE-"

Gaiihl floated down to the ground, eyes starting to glow red as he splayed his palms against the ground, smearing a violent red arc of paint on the canvas in front of him.

"IT-"

"GET DOWN!" Marcurio demanded, grabbing Kenzie and pressing her to the ground as Burgh, noticing the change, followed suit on his side of the arena.

"BAAAAACCCKKK!"

With an unearthly howl a crackling cloud of black lightning had filled the room in a split second, and an Ominous Wind washed over the entire room, a swirling maelstrom that sent paint splashing in a wide spiral pattern all over the arena. The wind crackled violently and in the blink of an eye focused in one the Whirlipede and the Pokemon was consumed in a cloud of black. Just as quickly as it began, it ended, leaving dark static jumping across the Whirlipede's hide. Vincent looked shocked and slowly wobbled from side to side before collapsing onto its side like a dropped coin. Gaiihl's tiny chest heaved with effort as he blinked his eyes a few times, looking just as shocked as everyone else before he quickly zoomed over and scooped up the mask.

"You….you sure….earned it kid." Vincent coughed, acknowledging Gaiihl's victory before he was surrounded by a red light as he was sucked back into the Pokeball in Burgh's hand.

"Gaiihl!" Kenzie shouted, pushing Marcurio's arm off of her as she stood. "Are you alright?!"

Gaiihl looked to the mask in his hands and then to the arena that he floated on, hovering just above the center of a swirling, multicolored spiral shaped pattern that stretched to the very edges of the canvased arena. Wulfrum crawled out from under Marcurio's grip and lifted himself up to see the field, eyes sparkling with awe.

"Cool…" He whispered.

"I think so!" He called back, wincing slightly from the last battle. "Just, just let me try this next round! I'll soften it up a little for Wulfrum!"

Burgh jumped back to his feet and his eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline at the sight of the arena before a large grin stretched itself across his face. He pressed his hands to his cheeks, running back and forth along his side of the field to see the different angles.

"This. Is. _GORGEOUS!_" He cried happily, "Gaiihl, you are quite the artist! Now that we've got such a beautiful start, let's add to it! Come on out Salvador!"

Gaiihl turned around to face his new opponent as it scuttled back and forth, pincers clicking as he assessed the situation. Gaiihl backed up to put some space between himself and the Dwebble that eyed him suspiciously. Both of the Pokemon waited in their own sides of the ring as the lights on the sides of the arena lit up to start the second round.

"Gaiihl! Use Will-O-Wisp!" Kenzie ordered.

"Use Smackdown!" Burgh countered, arms crossed against his chest.

Gaiihl had only started attempting to create the sparks in his palm when the Dwebble shot forwards and took his tail in his claws before swinging the Yamask into the ground. Gaiihl cried out and whacked the Dwebble upside the head with his tail and the golden mask, giving him enough time to hurl a handful of bright blue flames. Salvador quickly pulled himself into his rocky home and dodged the effects of the flames, but Gaiihl wouldn't let up. Soon the Dwebble was forced to take the flames as Burgh ordered another attack and Salvador shot from his hiding place and flailed his claws at the Yamask in a struggle, little legs leaving numerous dots of paint as he scuttled forwards. Gaiihl managed to get his mask up in front of him to take the latter parts of the attack and, clenching his fist, he sent out the shadowy tendril to Hex the Dwebble. Salvador jumped back and ducked into his rocky shell, causing him to roll through the paint and leave a rough pattern of color on the canvas beneath him. The Yamask continued his chase, tossing Shadow Ball and Hexing at every opportunity. Salvador's shell took the brunt of the ghost type attacks and, once the shell rolled to a stop, Gaiihl grabbed it to peek inside and deliver the finishing blow.

"Sand attack! Now!" Burgh ordered.

Gaiihl covered his eyes as a plume of sand shot out from the opening and blinded him, giving the Dwebble a perfect opportunity to come in and deliver a Faint Attack with his large claws. Gaiihl was sent sprawling on the canvas and he struggled to push himself up as Salvador charged at him. At the last second, he threw up his hands and sent both a Hex and a Shadow Ball hurtling into the Dwebble and the Pokemon was lifted off of the ground, landing on his back in the puddle of paint. Salvador twitched slightly and struggled to roll over before retreating back to Burgh, swaying from side to side. Burgh bent down and gently patted the Dwebble in praise before returning him to his Pokeball. Gaiihl slumped to the ground, breathing hard before lifting back into the air with a slight struggle and floating over to Kenzie. Burgh quickly ran over and offered the Trainer a towel to wrap the Yamask in to avoid getting paint everywhere before dashing back to his side of the arena.

"I think…I'm done." Gaiihl breathed.

The Yamask gratefully wrapped himself in the towel before curling up in Kenzie's arms, lips curling into a small smirk. Had he been human he would have stumbled over on his own and ignored the pain, standing tall by his friend's side only to succumb once he was alone. But there was something comforting about being able to be taken care of and just having his aches washed away, especially while in the arms of his closest friend.

"Alright Wulfrum, get on out there." Kenzie said, nodding to the dragon by her side.

Wulfrum wagged his little tail and charged onto the field on all fours, purposely splashing through the paint and zig-zagging to look at the prints he left behind. Burgh smiled and looked to his last Pokeball before throwing it onto the field.

"Alright Monet, make me proud!"

In a flash of red light, the Leavanny leapt gracefully onto the field. It towered over the little dragon who, turning serious, bared his little teeth and growled, lowering into an attack position. The lights flashed around the arena once more and at the ding and in a flurry of spoken commands the two vastly different Pokemon collided. Wulfrum dodged the Razor Leaves that were sent flying his way by the Leavanny, using his small stature to his advantage as he dove under Monet's legs and rolled behind him. The dragon whirled around and let out a gout of blue flames from his maw and the Leavanny leapt in surprise, darting forwards with graceful steps that almost looked like dancing. Wulfrum's tusks glowed and he charged towards the leaping Leavanny before shaking his head in a slicing motion and sent the glowing blades of energy after the bug.

"Monet, Protect!"

Suddenly the Leavanny spun around and put out its leafy arms and a force field appeared in front of it, causing the Dual Chop to glance off and evaporate in a burst of sparkling energy. Wulfrum didn't let this discourage him, however, and he darted after the Leavanny and as soon as the force field disappeared he spat out a stream of fire. Monet automatically brought up another force field, and then another as Wulfrum continued to breathe fire at the weakened Leavanny. Slowly each time Monet put up his protection it flickered faster and broke each time before it failed altogether and left him open for the barrage of flames that the Axew assaulted him with. In the end Monet fell to his knees and Burgh quickly drew him back from the battle. Wulfrum looked around, confused before running back over to Kenzie, grinning widely.

"I won, Kenzie, I won!"

"Yes you did!" She laughed, bending down and wiping off his paws before pulling the dragon into a hug with Gaiihl in her arms.

"Congratulations!" Burgh said, walking around the side of the arena. "You've definitely earned this." He said, holding out a bright green badge. "This is the Insect Badge! You'll be hard pressed to find a Pokemon who won't respect you for having these. And a personal gift that I hope will serve you well." He handed over a small case along with the badge. "This is my favorite move, TM 76 Struggle Bug! And even more than that, just look at _this!_"

Burgh swept his arm out, bringing attention to the large canvas that bad been smattered with color and patterns.

"That's absolutely beautiful! I'll be happy to display this in my gallery." He said, seeing Kenzie's face light up, "But I can't do that without letting the other artists be known. All of you, come on over and sign it, you too Marcurio, you trained as hard as the rest of them."

Kenzie ran over and knelt forward, dipping her finger in the paint and signing her name, letting her Pokemon do the same. She stood up and admired the large piece of art before her gaze shifted towards the signatures, her own, Burgh's, an Unown G, and two paw prints one belonging to Marcurio and one belonging to Wulfrum. Burgh contemplated it for a moment, looking at Kenzie and her Pokemon, knowing that these kids…. They were definitely going somewhere in life.


	22. Chapter 22

It wasn't a terribly long ride to the Desert Resort where Kenzie first made progress in her journey by befriending Gaiihl. Kenzie held Wulfrum close to share her warmth in the cold desert night as her shoes sunk into the loose sand, leaving a trail of footprints across the dunes. It was an almost surreal atmosphere as the desert floor seemed to glow in the light of the moon, millions of grains of sand all reflecting the light of the large white orb hanging high in the sky and lighting up the dark blue expanse of the sky. Gaiihl tugged his scarf down from around his mouth and looked up, his eyes revealing the expanses of stars that were drowned out by the lights of the cities. He floated along silently by Kenzie's side, warmth in his heart as they approached the marked entrance to the Relic Castle that was simply a set of stairs that descended into the darkness below.

"You know…" Gaiihl said, floating over the entrance, letting flames light up in his hands to light the way. "This is actually the top of the Western wing…" He looked up out of the sandy valley that the group was standing in, realizing that the rest of the enormous castle had been buried or collapsed under the weight of the sand.

"The Western wing?" Kenzie asked, following him along. "I fell down a couple floors; I know you said this place was massive…"

"It wasn't an exaggeration." He said proudly, noticing that the cave-in that Kenzie had nearly been caught in had been cleared and the tower reinforced by modern means. "Come on, we'll make camp here, it looks to be the safest."

Soon the tent was set up and the trainer and her three Pokemon all curled up inside it, but not before Kenzie managed to sneak away and pin up a piece of paper to the wall, written in Unown Symbols and giving directions on how to get to Nacrene city without having to pass through main routes. She grinned, looking at the large print on top proudly advertising the Mask Festival.

"Now hold on just a second!" Marcurio protested as they exited the Desert Resort and back towards Castelia city. "You said we were heading to Nimbasa!"

"Yeah well…. We will be, at the end of today." Kenzie grinned. "The date just snuck up on me, I didn't realize that we'd spent nearly a week in Castelia to get ready for Burgh's gym."

"Date shmate!" Marcurio said, transforming into a human and shaking her lightly by the shoulders. "_Hello?!_ Electric type gym to defeat? A Zorua that needs evolving?!"

"All in due time." She promised, holding out his Pokeball while she got on her bike.

He groaned and rolled his eyes, pressing his hand to the ball and letting the illusion flicker away as he transformed back into a Zorua and let himself be sucked inside.

"What's so important that we gotta go to this place?" Wulfrum asked, "Didn't you already beat that gym? There won't be anything fun for me to do." He complained, hopping on his little feet. "I want to go to another gym and mess in the colors some more!"

"Not all gyms have paint~" Kenzie said, offering his Pokeball to him as well. "And there's going to be plenty of fun to be had there."

Gaiihl watched as Wulfrum nodded and jumped into the red and white sphere. He crossed his arms around his chest and gave Kenzie a skeptical look, only to have her return a suspiciously innocent grin, complete with batting eyelashes.

"Alright, what are you planning?" He asked, circling her and ruffling up her short hair. "We came all this way and suddenly you're going to back track us?"

"Oh calm down~ I promise we'll reach Nacrene and get in a couple battles before the end of the say." Kenzie said, smoothing her hair back out. "If you want to know what it really is, I was going to keep it a surprise. But there's a Festival in Nacrene today and if we keep standing around we'll be late for all the fun."

He floated over and latched onto her shoulder as she took off on her bike and back through the gate to Castelia City.

"Well, you could have saved some time by just telling us that." He laughed, "What's this Festival for?"

"Oh, you'll see." She said, giving him a wink. "It's the first time it's been celebrated actually. I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised."

Gaiihl gave her a playful look and rolled his eyes, feeling the wind in his face as Kenzie cycled past the piers. She wove through the city streets and sidewalks, the gears of her bike clicking as she coasted down hills and dips. The cold air nipped at her nose but the warming rays of the sun that rose higher in the sky was too much to miss out on as the plucky trainer turned right onto Skyarrow Bridge, letting Gaiihl retreat to his Pokeball to avoid the biting chill in the air that he still found unpleasant and foreign after living so long in the heat of the desert. Within moments she was speeding along through the lengthy road that ran through Pinwheel Forest and she took a quick glance at her Cross Transceiver. The trip had taken an hour and a half at most, they wouldn't be too late by the time they reached the small town of warehouses. Soon Kenzie braked to a halt and stored her bike back into the Supply Ball that she promptly placed in her bag.

"Alright everyone." She said, taking the Pokeballs from her belt and dropping them against the ground. "Come on out."

The three Pokemon looked on in a mixture of shock and surprise, Nacrene had been completely taken over by Yamask. Everywhere tents were set up where artists were selling goods and foods, games were being played, and tricks were being performed.

"What…what is this?" Gaiihl asked, backing up and bumping unto Kenzie.

"Are you nervous?" Marcurio asked, smirking before turning his gaze to Kenzie. "So this is what heading back to Nacrene was all about?" There was a bright blue flash as he turned into his human form and smoothed back his hair. "I suppose a little detour from Nimbasa won't hurt."

Wulfrum looked on with curiosity. "Where'd all of the Gaiihls come from?"

Kenzie laughed and picked him up to explain the Yamask as Gaiihl slowly drifted forwards, clutching his scarf. The rest of the team took that as their cue to follow as the ghost hovered through the crowd of other Yamask. The majority of them here seemed as if they were accompanied by trainers and others had simply appeared of their own free will. Kenzie noticed with a slight frown that he wasn't acting as…glad as she thought he'd be, she'd at least expected him to try to strike up a conversation by now and noticed him struggling with trying to recognize the unique family symbols tattooed below each Yamask's eye.

"Hey! Glad you could make it back, hon!" Lenora called, jogging over to them while her teal hair bounced with each step. "You won't believe the field day that the Museum is having. We've got psychics translating dozens of pieces of new information for us! It'll take ages to sort everything out, but when we're through it looks like Ancient Unova will be just as well documented as recent history!" She nearly squealed with glee.

"That's great Lenora." Kenzie replied, grinning as she gently smacked Marcurio's wandering hand away from an unsuspecting food vendor's merchandise.

"And you won't believe who showed up! The ghost queen herself!" Lenora said excitedly, "You know, one of the two the most influential psychics in the Unova region?!"

"Wait…" Kenzie said, gasping, "You mean _Shauntel_ is here?! FROM THE ELITE FOUR?!"

"You know it!" Lenora said, grasping Kenzie's hands excitedly, "She's stationed up by the Museum and is helping translate stories and Ancient Unovian literature, you've got to go see her!"

Kenzie nodded and took off towards the Museum without a second thought, her Pokemon following behind with Gaiihl tagging along at the end, whirling around to try and get a good look at everyone.

"So what is the Elite Four?" Gaiihl asked, zooming up and holding onto her shoulder.

"The Elite Four are who _we_ are training to beat. They're the four most powerful trainers in the entire Unova Region right under the Champion himself, Alder." Kenzie explained. "Most people take years to even beat the Elite Four after collecting all of the Badges and the majority of them are defeated by Alder at the end. It's only the best trainers and Pokemon who can claim the Champion title for themselves."

Kenzie skidded to a halt when she caught sight of the Elite Four member and she clenched her fists excitedly.

"You know what? You go talk to her." Gaiihl said determinedly, floating from her shoulder. "I'm…I'm going to go and look around, maybe find someone I knew or someone from a family I know of."

Kenzie smiled and gave him a quick hug of encouragement before she dashed over to Shauntel. Gaiihl watched with a hint of a smile as he saw her offer her hand and introduced herself, quickly starting an enthusiastic conversation with the powerful Trainer. He sighed contentedly and tightened his scarf around himself as he made off to hopefully do the same with a familiar face. He wove through the crowds, noticing a lone Cofagrigus here and there, ducking in close for only a moment to observe their marking before quickly retreating when it was unrecognized to him. Of the few golden Pokemon that were there, they were ringed by a small crowd all their own, presumably the subjects that they had ruled over in life who had gathered to meet with their lost Pharaoh and others who lived during his reign. There was a small hope in his chest as he looked down at his mask, that maybe, just maybe he'd find his mother and father…

All around him were familiar sights underneath the vendors tents that generously gave away samples of free food to the Yamask and Cofagrigus that passed by and the nostalgic smell of the baked goods that had been tirelessly prepared from ancient recipes volunteered by the ghosts made his stomach rumble. Large red eyes reflected the moving mass of trainers and their Pokemon , a large amount of them crowded around domes of shimmering energy that Gaiihl soon found out to be minor castings of Trick Room, allowing Yamask to pass through and be seen as they were when alive and giving them the ability to converse with their Trainers before the move ultimately faded after nearly fifteen minutes each time it was performed. Deciding that it would be easier to spot recognizable figures in one of these domes, Gaiihl floated over to observe a newly cast one in the distance.

Carefully, he pushed his way through the crowd of trainers to take a look inside the opalescent dome only to feel his heart burst with excitement. In the middle of the dome, and obviously the performer of the move was a tall, proud figure that seemed to be in his mid-twenties and at the cusp of physical perfection in life. Any malnutrition from the result of slavery had disappeared from his face altogether and any boyhood softness had disappeared since he last laid eyes on his friend, his jaw had hardened and his face had angled out to give him the perfect visage of a successful leader. His hair was pulled back from his tanned face and arranged into a thick braid that came down just below his shoulder blades and bounced against the fine bright garments he was clothed in. Gaiihl watched as he turned his face to address a newcomer and the Yamask's suspicions were proven. Below one eye was the symbol of the Alomomola family, but beneath the other was a crescent that reminded him of the blades of a Haxorus, the symbol of a new family.

"Adjo." He said, not quite loud enough to get his attention. "Adjo!"

Gaiihl quickly pushed his way through the crowd and passed through the dome and he watched as his body changed to suit the illusion that he had surrendered himself to. He was still dressed in the same cotton trousers that he wore every day as a servant, chest bare as was the suitable fashion for men at his time, with only the scarf draped around his shoulders. He ran up to the man in the center of the Trick Room, or at least, imagined that he could. The illusion was strong, but not nearly as strong as the one Sethikhamun had produced out of rage as he could still feel his true Yamask body underneath the fake shell. He reached out and clapped his hand to Adjo's shoulder and spun him around, and at first his friend seemed completely shocked that someone would lay their hands on him in such a way unfit for royalty but then he stopped to stare at the face before him. Adjo was stunned as he recognized the boy in front of him, Gaiihl hadn't aged a day since his untimely demise, though that made sense in a way.

Adjo struggled to say something as Gaiihl grinned widely, his messy mane of hair falling into his face as he remembered nearly every day of his childhood. Deciding that simple words would not suffice Adjo pulled his lost friend into an embrace, patting his back as if he was making sure he was real. Gaiihl soon had to pull himself from the hug and clap his hands on Adjo's shoulders.

"Come on Adjo." He prompted slyly, "Say something! You look like you've seen a ghost."

Slowly, a smile came across his friend's face and his eyes brightened. "You're alive!"

"Just as much as you are, my friend." He replied happily, "You still haven't gotten over pointing out the obvious~"

Adjo ran his fingers through his own hair, looking as if he was struggling with his words. "But you… you were dead."

"And so were you."

"But…Arceus…Gaiihl! I never…" He shook his head, pinching the bride of his nose in an attempt to regain composure. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"This world of ours works in strange ways, doesn't it?" He said. "Save your words, whatever it is that you're struggling to speak, put it to rest." Gaiihl shook his head, "Words of mourning, unspoken secrets, requests of forgiveness, none of it matters now. Simply know that you are forgiven and there are more important matters to discuss."

Adjo nodded, ignoring the lump in his throat as a weight was lifted from his chest. He remembered the overwhelming sense of sadness that washed over him when he found Gaiih's body, limp and lifeless in the catacombs beneath the Western Wing. He'd grown up with the boy and he was hard pressed to remember a good day of childhood that Gaiihl hadn't been involved in. Some of his happiest memories were when he and his sister Senet would travel with their father to the capital city where Gaiihl and his family ruled. Both were families of royalty and thus the only times the lonely children would have someone to confide in was when the three of them were together. He couldn't quite remember when he'd finally passed through the fog of depression; he was convinced that when the storm had passed a small piece still followed him to remind him now and again of Gaiihl as the years passed by.

"More important matters?" He questioned. "What important matters?"

Gaiihl rolled his eyes and tapped Adjo's forehead, "Did you forget to empty your head of sand and fill it with brains like I told you?" He laughed, "Look at you! You're…_old_."

Adjo nearly snorted with laughter, "Still as bull headed as you used to be, yes, life treated me rather well in the years that you couldn't be there with us. Fifty seven years to be exact."

"_What?!_" Gaiihl took a step back and looked his friend up and down. "Never mind then, you aged better than most."

Adjo shook his head, an inexhaustible smile on his face. "You see me as I wish you to, and the years I held this face were some of my most successful."

"Successful?" Gaiihl asked, noticing that Adjo had finally gotten taller than he had in his extra years.

"Well, yes. The founding of the Village of Dragons, I was betrothed, had children…"

"Wait…don't tell me…" Gaiihl said, giving his a skeptical look, "That shopkeeper's daughter that you were always chasing after, the vendor girl… Nabirye!"

Adjo gave him a knowing smile and Gaiihl laughed, "You dog! How many kids?"

"Twin girls and a boy." He said, looking bemused. "They are all back home with their mother; it was a stroke of luck we all awoke in this strange new life together."

"And Senet?" Gaiihl finally asked, the question had been tearing him up inside.

Suddenly the shimmering dome flickered as the Trick Room faded and the Yamask who had been standing inside were revealed underneath the illusion that had been cast. Gaiihl floated back in a moment of fright when his friend's true form was revealed, surprised to find the large sharp smile of a Cofagrigus. Adjo floated nearly a foot from the ground, shadowy arms tucked politely into his gold plated form.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen her in many years." He admitted, gazing at the ground. "She was…never quite the same after you died. She met with death before I did and we awoke nearly twelve years ago. She departed only a month after waking in this new time in search of _you_." He let out a hollow metallic sounding sigh, "I have heard rumors that she has become the partner of a powerful human, but the rumors are only passed along by Pokemon. This 'powerful human' must not be powerful enough to be known by his peers."

"No, it makes sense." He said, floating back to Adjo, "I was able to get some information out of Sethikhamun yesterday-"

"Sethikhamun?!" Adjo glowered, baring his sharp teeth, "He lives?! What were you doing conversing with your murderer?!"

"He does, and we weren't exactly _conversing_." Gaiihl corrected, "It was more like I was bashing his head against the wall while yelling at him."

Adjo sniffed approvingly, "Serves him right. What did you find?"

"Sethikhamun was trying to threaten her with harm for my actions." He said, "When I confronted him he let me know that she was befriended by an ally of Team Plasma, he can't do anything to hurt her."

Adjo though deeply about this, brow furrowed over his deep red eyes before a shadowy hand snaked out of his side and beckoned him to follow. "My partner should know about this, Team Plasma is a nuisance everywhere. She might be able to uncover what we need to know."

Gaiihl nodded and floated along behind the Cofagrigus as they made their way back towards the Museum where Kenzie and Shauntal were sitting on the front steps under and awning put up by the construction workers who had taken the day off from repairing the front from the attack by Team Plasma. The two psychics were talking animatedly with a small group of female Yamask who dispersed when the two approached.

"Hey Gaiihl." Kenzie said, finally noticing him. "Find a friend?"

Adjo gave Gaiihl a wondering look, "You have a trainer?"

Gaiihl nodded floating over to the girl, "This is Kenzie. I woke up only about a month ago in Relic Castle stuck in that tomb. She dropped in through the ceiling ad helped me to escape."

"It seems we've already met by acquaintance then," Adjo said welcomingly, offering a hand to shake. "I am Adjo, you obviously already know Gaiihl already as well as my own partner."

"Gaiihl's told me a lot about you." Kenzie said, raising her eyebrows at his last statement, "Wait…you're Shauntal's Pokemon?!"

"And Gaiihl's yours!" Shauntal pointed out in surprise, "Ever since I met Adjo as a child we've been looking for him and then here we are sitting not even a foot away from each other!" She took out a notepad and a pen, "I've got to jot this down."

Adjo rolled his eyes, "We've also found that the rumors are true, Shauntal." He said, "Senet has befriended or may be unwillingly in the possession of an influential member of Team Plasma."

"Hold on Adjo, one thing at a time." She said, "You bring me the best stories but you've got to let me finish writing one first." She quickly scribbled down the notes, "An influential member of Plasma? Well, I do know that Ghetsis has a Cofagrigus…"

"That's Sethikhamun." Gaiihl said, crossing his arms. "And he doesn't have her."

Adjo and Shauntal glanced at each other, "The leader of the Pokemon Liberation movement and that power hungry murderer working together?" Adjo asked, "They're plotting something."

"And you can bet that they each have their own agendas." Kenzie pointed out, "They're using each other, in the end I'll bet you that one of them will make the final grasp for power and leave the other behind."

"That is…more than troubling." Shauntal said, putting her notepad back into her bag. "But there's nothing we can do right now. We'll have to wait until we return to the League."

"So…hold on a second." Marcurio said, changing the subject of conversation as he walked over, arms full of free food as Wulfrum tagged along at his heels and caught whatever he dropped. "We're taking the Gym Challenge… that means that you two are going to be pitted against each other at some point in the future."

Gaiihl looked to Adjo, realizing that the Zorua was right. And if Shauntal was one of the strongest trainers in the Unova region…just how much stronger was Adjo than him?

"Well, I for one will be looking forward to the experience." Adjo said good naturedly, "There's nothing quite like a match between two friends. Though I doubt you'll fare well until you evolve. You've gotten rather…shrimpy."

"Yes, and you've gone and filled your head with more rocks." Gaiihl shot back, glad to hear the banter that they exchanged back and forth as kids, maybe Adjo hadn't changed so much after all.

And so, pushing Team Plasma and Sethikhamun to the back of their minds, trainers and Pokemon made it a priority to enjoy the festival. Gaiihl hadn't realized how much he'd been missed as Adjo showed him around and re-introduced him to others who he himself had ruled over or worked with during his time as a servant, and it astounded him for some reason when he realized the full lives they had lived. More than that, Gaiihl noticed the wisened look in his friend's eyes that betrayed his great age (at least, what would be considered great in his time) but also the laugh that Adjo had shared with him growing up. Growing old did not change someone, only their state of mind as they became smarter as their bones became brittle, Adjo was still the same yet, no matter how many times Gaiihl claimed he had a sack of potatoes in his skull instead of a brain, he could tell that he cherished his new youthful form while still maintaining the knowledge he had worked so hard to glean.

Soon though, the vendors packed up, trainers and their charges left for home, and the few wild Yamask floated with long lost friends and family into the forest together to make their way back to wherever it was that they called home. With a reluctant goodbye, Gaiihl parted ways with his old companion with a promise to write as Kenzie got on her bike, ready to head off to Nimbasa and Adjo was taken into his Pokeball.

"So." Kenzie said, shivering as a cold breeze rushed past them, "Did you find what you came here for?"

"More than that." Gaiihl replied happily, clinging to her shoulder.

"I'm glad." Kenzie said sincerely, pedaling onto Skyarrow Bridge. "How was catching up with Adjo?"

"Mmm…" Gaiihl thought for a moment, "Just like old times."


	23. Chapter 23

"People actually get on that steel contraption for…._fun_?!" Gaiihl asked, appalled.

The Yamask's red eyes were wide as he attempted to take in the sights before him, he floated just above the top of a large metal gate where high above him twisting rails that looped through the sky and dived towards the earth looked like maddened snakes. He didn't know quite what to call them himself, probably some sort of torture device from what he could glean from the sounds of high pitched screams emanating from them, but Kenzie called them 'roller coasters'.

"Yeah, it's really thrilling." Kenzie said, blue eyes following the knotted rails as a cart full of people shot across them, "The larger ones scare me though, especially the ones with loops."

"Yup." Wulfrum said, peeking through the metal fence. "They're scary alright."

Kenzie pulled away from the fence, having peeked into the amusement part in attempt to get a glimpse of Elesa's Gym. With their training schedule they'd be there for two weeks at the most and hopefully the Pokemon Center would have enough absences in their rooms long enough for them to stay the entire time without having to go camping in Lostlorn Forest. She vaguely contemplated looking for another teammate to join her steadily growing family. Normally, it was tough to train more than three Pokemon at a time but after the Electric Type gym it would be necessary to compete with her rival's rising team numbers as well as to improve their typing spread. She'd have to remember to stock up on Pokeballs when they decided to return to the Pokemon Center.

Meanwhile, Marcurio seemed entirely uninterested in the roller coasters and the amusement park entirely and was instead wondering his he'd look when he finally evolved into a Zoroark. They were by far the greatest of all Pokemon when it came to matters of illusion, cunning, and trickery. Yet, despite all of his years traveling through time with his companion Celebii he never put as much effort into it as he should have. He preferred to explore human cities and settlements under the guise of people and other Pokemon instead of pitting himself against other Pokemon. Now though, maybe due to Kenzie's training regimen or due to the fact that the Trainer did her best to keep him focused, hardly anything else had crossed his mind. And it was inside that amusement park that he'd be evolving, no longer would he be some tiny blue fox, he'd actually he large enough to really fend for himself. And he'd be able to protect his friends if needed, though he wasn't looking forward to having to care for the large mane of fluffy fur that came with it.

"Come on guys." Kenzie said, prompting them to follow, "We can probably get in a few battles in the Stadiums to train, just wait until you see those Gaiihl."

Gaiihl yawned happily and crossed his arms behind his head, still jubilant from the festival earlier that day. "If you are saying so~" He said, "But after that, I vote we get some rest. I'm exhausted, plus, the sky is getting dark."

"Gaiihl, you slept in this morning and we haven't really even _done_ and training today." Kenzie pointed out, poking his side.

"All you human teenagers ever _do_ is sleep." Marcurio said, shoving his hands in his pockets and passing by Wulfrum as the dragon fell behind the small group.

"That is entirely untrue." Gaiihl said, waiting to float by the transformed Zorua, "We are also quite good at eating."

"Food is one of my best friends." Kenzie said playfully, walking backwards as they crossed a small bridge to the other half of town, the water rushing through beneath them. "Hey, wait a second. Where'd Wulfrum go?" She asked, not catching sight of him in the group.

"Huh?" Marcurio turned around and looked around his feet, picking up one and checking the bottom thought he didn't know why. Of course the dragon wouldn't be there. "I swore he was right in front of me a second ago."

Gaiihl quickly hovered above the group, shading his eyes to look down the wide street and the few passerbies heading home. "I don't see him anywhere." He said, growing concerned.

"Hold on." Kenzie said, looking around, "I'll see if I can try to sense him anywhere. I've been around him long enough to know what his aura feels like..I think."

"Are you sure you can do that?" Marcurio asked, "Last time you even tried to Levitate something it looked like it took some effort. We could just split up and check?"

Kenzie closed her eyes and splayed her hands in the area in front of her. "I don't trust him to be alone, he's strong, but Ghetsis and Team Plasma wouldn't hesitate to steal him from us."

"Good point." Marc said, quieting so she could think.

Kenzie's hair lifted slightly as if it were suddenly plagued by static as she reached out with her mind to search for the dragon. She could feel a certain fuzziness in the palms of her hands as if a large ball of cotton was growing in each, and the larger the fuzziness got, the more she could sense. Humans and Pokemon were everywhere, but it was like looking into a thick fog and trying to recognize a face as the dark figures walked back and forth. But one of them triggered something in the back of her mind and she jogged off in what hopefully would be Wulfrum's direction.

"Come on!" she called back, "He's over this way!"

Her two other Pokemon followed quickly behind, Marcurio letting his illusion fade and picking up speed now that he took on his more lithe form. He quickly outpaced Kenzie and Gaiihl, darting forward as he picked up Wulfrum's scent in the city air. He darted around the corner and skidded to a halt to raise his hackles and bare his fangs at a Team Plasma Grunt.

"Alright gramps." The Grunt spat, "So are you going to help Team Plasma or not? I don't care if your little dragon showed up to help, if you don't start releasing all of the Pokemon that come into your Daycare then I'll give you a reason to!"

The Plasma Member had cornered the old man in an alleyway, and Wulfrum stood in front of him protectively. The old man looked terrified, hunched over on the ground where the Grunt had no doubt shoved him.

"I-I won't!" He replied, "I won't! It's my job to take care of Pokemon, not to separate them from the people they love!"

"Hey!" Marcurio barked, blocking the exit from the alleyway, "I'll let you go if you leave now! It's your fault for whatever happens if you don't."

Wulfrum gave a snort of agreement, taking a step towards the Team Plasma member as Kenzie and Gaiihl rounded the corner. At this point, there would be no escape for the Grunt unless he could climb walls. Seeing no other way out of the situation, he scowled and reached for the Pokeballs at his belt and tossed both of them at the ground and with a sharp crack the two Pokeballs popped open and a flash of red lit up the dark alleyway only to reveal a large Watchog and a small Pokemon that looked like a bag of garbage, which Kenzie quickly scanned with her Pokedex revealing it to be a Trubbish.

"Attack those blocking the exit!" He ordered, "Just get us out of here!"

The claw necklace around Marcurio's throat gleamed suddenly and he dashed to block his opponent's paths as his eyes darkened and he let out a Snarl, dark energy pulsing out of the sound waves and knocking the two Pokemon back as Gaiihl zoomed up to join him, he wouldn't risk Kenzie getting hurt again. The Watchog braced itself for the hit and attempted to clear the way for escape once more as it sunk its fangs into the Zorua's fur, causing him to yelp in pain before one of Gaiihl's Energyballs sent it flying back against the wall. The Trubbish quickly seized this opportunity and spewed a tight orb of purple sludge at the Yamask who was only able to lift his arm in attempt to block. He winced as the substance quickly absorbed into his skin and he began to feel weak.

"Gaiihl! Get back!" Kenzie ordered, "You've been poisoned?"

"Poisoned…?" He questioned, feeling light headed.

"Return!" She ordered, holding out the Dusk ball, causing Gaiihl to be sucked inside into the safe embrace. "Sorry, Gaiihl." She said, placing the ball back onto her belt, "You're in no shape to fight now, Wulfrum! Take his place and attack the Trubbish with a Dual Chop!"

With a cry seeming rather mighty for the small Pokemon, Wulfrum charged and let loose the blades of light that burst from his tusks. They slammed into the Trubbish whose gaze locked onto the dragon and it spat out another ball of Sludge. Wulfrum leapt over it, causing it to fly right past him and splash against the Grunt's boots. The Grunt glared at the Trubbish as Wulfrum continued to charge and Slashed his tusks into the Pokemon. The Trubbish was sent rolling into the Watchog who, meanwhile, was on its last legs as Marcurio launched a gout of fire at it. The two enemy Pokemon landed in a heap in front of the Grunt.

Marcurio shook his fur out angrily, "You've got nowhere to hide now!"

"Yeah!" Wulfrum growled, "No one tries to attack my trainer!"

The Grunt backed up in fear, withdrawing his partners as the Pokemon slowly encroached deeper into the alleyway. In a sudden burst of energy he took a chance and sprinted towards the exit, jumping over the small Pokemon and throwing a purple orb at the ground. Kenzie braced herself for the smoke that she knew was coming as it burst out in all directions, sweeping out of the alley and onto the streets as she felt him shove her into the wall and take off into the city.

"This-!" Marcurio coughed, "Wouldn't happen if I were a Zoroark!"

Kenzie and her Pokemon stumbled out of the alleyway and onto the sidewalk to escape from the choking smoke, the old man following close behind.

"Thank you." He wheezed, clearing his lungs of the smoke, "I don't know what I would have done if your Axew hadn't shown up."

"It's our pleasure." Kenzie said, brushing the dirt from her shoulder from when she was pushed into the wall. "We've been dealing with them since the start of our journey. What was he after you for?"

"My wife and I run the Pokemon Daycare on Route 3, right next to the Daycare for the children." He replied, "That horrible young man was trying to blackmail me into releasing all of the Pokemon that trainers entrusted to my possession to help them grow."

"Well, I've got to commend you on your resolve." Marcurio replied, scratching his ear with his hind leg. "You've got a lot of moxie…for an old guy."

The Daycare Man shook his head in amusement, "I'm sorry I don't have anything to offer you for saving me, but if you ever find yourself burdened by trying to train too many Pokemon at once, or you feel like just giving them a break you're welcome to drop them off on Route 3 at a discount rate."

"We appreciate that." Kenzie said, "Do you need help getting back?"

The old man shook his head. "No need to worry about me youngin', he seemed to think that your Axew belonged to me. And the way he fights, I doubt I'll be bothered again. Good night to you."

Kenzie nodded her goodbye and was about to start towards the Pokemon Center when, of all people, Bianca charged through the smoke with a loud battle cry.

"PUT YOUR HANDS UP PLASMA SCUM!"

"Uuuhhh…." Kenzie stared at her friend, frozen to the spot. "He…Uh…He's already gone Bianca."

"Buh…what?" She asked, putting her fists down and slumping. "Kenzie?"

"Yeah." She laughed, "It would have been a help if you got here a few minutes earlier." She said, "That Grunt already went and bolted, I don't know where he got off to."

Bianca groaned and looked to the sky, "Gosh darn it!" She cried, "I was gonna finally get back at them for stealing my little Ophelia!" She sighed and adjusted her hat. "Well, at least it looks like you gave him a beating for me. Hey, have you seen the Pokemon Musicals yet?!"

"Pokemon…Musicals?" Kenzie asked, shaking her head, "Tell me about it, right now I've got to get Gaiihl to a Pokemon Center."

Bianca nodded and walked with her as Kenzie's Pokemon followed along behind. "I've been at the musicals all day, they teach your Pokemon how to use props and act along with their trainers on stage! It's tons of fun, I even got to be in one. They're open for everyone, just little skits and they show them all day."

"That sounds like a load of-" Marcurio started, rolling his eyes, right before Kenzie interrupted him.

"-Fun!" Kenzie said excitedly, "I've always loved musicals!"

"What?!" Marcurio replied, "No! I am not getting dressed up to prance around on stage and-"

"They have little top hats and monocles~" Bianca sang, looking back at the Zorua.

"I-….hmph…." He replied, thinking, "I would look rather dapper but no. It's not happening."

"Please don't tell me this is happening." Marcurio groaned, sitting dejectedly in the dressing room as Kenzie rummaged through her new Prop Case.

"Lighten up fox." Gaiihl snickered, fully healed from their trip to the Pokemon center. "You'll be the center of attention~"

"But I only like being the center of attention when I _want_ to be the center of attention." He whined, "Not when someone else _makes_ me!"

"Well look at it this way, once you evolve into a Zoroark you can tell people that it wasn't you dressed in frilly bows on stage at the musical." Gaiihl laughed.

"I'm not putting him in frilly bows." Kenzie said, rolling her eyes as she lifted a curious Wulfrum out of the Prop Case and set him to the side, covered in various garments. "But don't make fun of him, you're going on stage too."

Gaiihl had been in the middle of a fit of snickering that abruptly stopped. "What?"

"I figure this will be just a good of a time as any to do something together as a team that's not battling." She replied. "Besides, you don't really have to do any work. Our lines are fed to us through headsets and you just need to act like you're talking." She explained, "Any actual lines you 'say' are just projected over the intercom by a voice over…er to make it sound like you're talking. That way the audience understands you. Besides-" Kenzie said, tossing some clothes at him. "Your people did theater stuff, didn't they?"

"It was a large part of my culture." He admitted, examining the fancy cape she tossed at him. "But I only ever watched, it was the citizen's duty to perform and pass down legends."

"But it was fun watching right?" She asked, struggling to untangle Wulfrum from his predicament.

Gaiihl did a very teenagerly roll of his eyes and resigned to his fate as he donned the cape and mask that the costume director had assigned him and Marcurio was trying very hard not to look like he was actually enjoying wearing a top hat and fancy monocle. Soon enough the three Pokemon were dressed and dapper as Kenzie retreated into her own dressing room to get in her own costume. Soon enough they were all called onto stage, Kenzie managing to wave to Bianca and her Pokemon who were also dressed up and waiting near where they would have to enter on their cue. They were given a quick rundown of the skit, _A Sweet Soirée, _and were told what to expect from the audience before they were directed to their places by the microphones hidden in their ears.

For Kenzie, it was kind of hard to actually figure out what the play was about with her lines being fed to her and not knowing the script beforehand. Though she could tell it had something to do with a ball being held by a wealthy baron and the attempts of his many female suitors to sway him and his affections only to discover that he was a Zorua in disguise and had instead fallen in love with one of the suitor's _Pokemon, _much to the dismay of the suitors. The actual baron returns, scolding the Zorua for throwing a 'wild party' while he was away in Kanto, and finds himself enraptured by one of the trainers present. All in all, it was rather successful (even if Kenzie did struggle with a bit of overacting) and very well received. Kenzie yawned and stretched as they exited the theater, finding that they had gained a few fans after the play, and trudged towards the Pokemon Center.

"But I don't want to get up. It's too early." Kenzie groaned, having her blankets tugged off of her by all three of her Pokemon. It seemed that it was time for their revenge for the Musical.

"That's because you stayed up too late." Marcurio said, transforming into a human and throwing her over his shoulder, much to her chagrin. "We've got to keep to her training regimen, remember?"

Kenzie glowered and rubbed her eyes as she slid out of his grip and grabbed her clothes to go and change. Marcurio laid back on the bed triumphantly, arms crossed behind his head.

"You think that was a little harsh?" Gaiihl asked, watching as she trudged off towards the bathroom to change.

There was a short silence as the three Pokemon contemplated the question before looking at each other and agreeing.

"_Naaaah~"_

A short wardrobe change and a coffee later Kenzie and her Pokemon were once again out roaming Nimbasa, the sun not yet over the horizon as they started towards the West gate where Kenzie had heard rumors of numerous battlers.

"Kenzie! Waiiit!" Bianca cried, running up behind her. "I've got something for you!"

Kenzie paused and turned around as Bianca approached, the orange-jacketed trainer halting to a stop a little ways away and grabbing a Pokeball from her bag.

"But on one condition! You've got to battle me first!"

"Let's battle then." Kenzie said with a smirk. "Wulfrum, you're out first!"

"Come on our Laddie!" Bianca yelled happily, tossing the Pokeball into the air.

"Well, looks here, eh?" Laddie asked, "A new face?"

"You've evolved." Marcurio observed with a hint of envy, what was a Lillipup before had now evolved into a proud looking Herdier.

"Kind of ye to notice." He commented, "Now, let's get this rolling!"

The Herdier jumped forwards on his paws as he quickly closed the distance between himself and the Dragon, baring his fangs as he attempted to bite Wulfrum's scaly hide. Ensnared in his maw, Wulfrum cried out and let loose a gout of blue Dragon Rage, the bright flames licking at the Herdier's hide and causing it to quickly stumble away as Wulfrum followed up with a Slash of his tusks, actually shaving a bit of fur from Laddie's side.

"Not so rough Wulfrum!" Kenzie ordered, "Tone it down a bit! This is a friendly fight!"

"Oof, sorry." Wulfrum apologized, jumping back.

Laddie leaned back and ran his tongue over the shallow cut. "I'll be fine hatchling. But you will regret that in a moment." He assured, roaring and leaping forward in another attack, slamming his full weight into Wulfrum in a Take Down, causing the small green Pokemon to roll head over heels and land on his back. The Herdier decided to take advantage of the situation and he jumped on top of the Axew, baring his teeth for another bite only to be thrown off by the blades of energy that emanated from Wulfrum's tusks. Laddie landed on his paws, breathing heavily as Wulfrum rolled over onto all fours, staring him down before they both charged in one final rush that left the Herdier sprawled on the pavement from Wulfrum's last blow with his tusks.

"It's okay Laddie." Bianca assured. "You fought hard, come on back! Now, it's your turn Scoville!"

In a split second a Pansear was jumping wildly about the battle zone, disorienting Wulfrum who head to turn in circles in order to follow his actions. As soon as Wulfrum wobbled slightly the Pansear jetted to him, attacking his front with a flurry of claws in a Fury Swipe. Wulfrum growled and shook his head wildly, blade after blade of energy shooting off and leaving bursts of dust as they hit just behind Scoville's heels. The Pansear came in for another attack only to meet head on with Wulfrum's Dragon Rage. Scoville screeched and jumped back, soon becoming prey to one of Wulfrum's Dual Chops. However, just as Wulfrum was about to end the battle he charged towards the Pansear and slashed at him with his tusks right as Scoville spat out a burst of flames, both of the Pokemon tumbling back.

"Come on back Wulfrum!" Kenzie said, "You've done a great job."

Wulfrum smiled slightly, lying on the ground as she drew him back into his Pokeball and Scoville was drawn into his. Soon Gaiihl was on the field in his place and Bianca grinned widely as she threw another Pokeball onto the field.

"Let's show off Ottumn!"

There was a burst of red light and the Dewott stood tall and proud, a smirk on his face. Bianca had obviously been training hard since their last encounter and even moreso to defeat Team Plasma. Ottumn took his scalchop in one hand and cracked his knuckles.

"Wanna battle?"

"It's not really a battle if you're out of it in one hit." Gaiihl taunted, unable to hide a grin.

Ottumn returned the grin right before he sprinted to the ghost, taking the other scalchop in his paw he became surrounded by glowing orbs of Focused Energy that blinded Gaiihl to an extent. Quickly, the Yamask brough up his mask to deflect the scalchops, an orb of grass-type energy forming in his other hand. However, just as Gaiihl was about to throw it at the Dewott, Ottumn ran forwards and smacked his wrist up with a scalchop , causing him to miss horribly and leaving him open to a blow from the Dewott's Razor Shell. Gaiihl forcefully brought his mask down atop the Dewott's head and smacked him away, giving him time to charge another Energyball which finally resulted in a hit. Ottumn took the hit like a champ, staying to his feet before coming in once again with a series of jabs and graceful slashes that reminded Gaiihl of the herons that used to jab their beaks into the river that used to run through the Desert Resort.

The Yamask threw a barrage of flames at the Dewott who quickly slashed the shells in his hands up and down, throwing up a spray of water that, while not completely putting out the flames, weakened their power. Gaiihl did his best to try to Hex Ottumn afterwards, but it seemed that the Dewott was just too fast. What he thought would be an easy battle was pushing him to his limits and it took all of his effort just to dodge the scalchops with his mask. He finally managed to send an Energyball bursting into his sides just as a powerful blow sent him roughly to the ground. Gaiihl held out his hands in surrender and the Dewott helped him to return to Kenzie's side.

"You've gotten better." He commented weakly.

"And so have you." Ottumn replied, giving a fangy grin. "You'd better beat me next time though or it won't be any fun trying to get stronger than you."

Gaiihl returned the smile as he let himself retreat into the comforting embrace of the Dusk ball, after all, that was what battling was all about.

"Get out there Marc, you're our last shot!"

"Finally!" The Zorua replied, dashing out onto the field as Ottumn took his place.

"Use Fury Cutter!" Bianca prompted, pointing enthusiastically.

Marcurio's eyes widened and he braced himself for the attack, knowing that he was weak to bug-type moves he hurried to counter attack with a Snarl, the dark sound waves causing the blue otter-like Pokemon to halt in his steps and throw up his scalchops in defense. Marcurio took this opportunity to run in a Pursuit, jabbing his snout into the Pokemon's soft stomach before retreating out of his range. Ottumn fell to his knees from the blow and he clutched his abdomen before forcing himself back up, despite the weakened burn, he could still feel its sting and the overwhelming effects from the brass-type energy he was barraged with before. It only took one more Snarl to send him limping back to Bianca in hopeful defeat. Now he had another reason to become stronger, after all, battling was his specialty.

"Do your best Ophelia." Bianca encouraged, giving the new Pokeball in her hand a trusting look before summoning the Munna onto the field.

Marcurio gave a snarky grin and narrowed his eyes, a psychic type? Please, it didn't stand a chance. He soon found this statement correct as he charged in Pursuit and jumped into the air, taking the damage from the Psybeam that it shot out and slamming the pink Pokemon to the ground where it stayed, having taken a critical hit and a massive amount of damage. Marcurio stood over the Pokemon triumphantly and felt a strange sensation come over him as his fur sparked with a bright white light that faded as soon as it appeared.

"Oh come on!" He whined, "I'm that close to evolving! _That close._"

"You'll get it soon enough." Bianca said encouragingly, putting the Munna's Pokeball back onto her belt. "I can tell you all have really been training. Anyway, this is what I needed to give you."

She walked over and handed Kenzie a neatly sealed envelope. "It's an invitation to the masquerade ball at the Musical building." She explained, "Once every month all of the actors who volunteer to put on a show at the theater are invited. If you don't have any other reason to go and get dressed up in costume for fun then there's always the free food to enjoy. It's coming up this next weekend!"

"Thanks Bianca." Kenzie said, smiling and placing the envelope in her bag. "I'll think about it, come on. Let's get our Pokemon to the Center. You too Marc."

"_THIS. CLOSE."_He lamented, following behind the two as they walked back to the Pokemon Center together.

**And it's time for more fun facts about the cast! Scoville is actually named after Wilbur Scoville who created the scale on which the hotness of peppers is measured! Another fun name is Adjo's, Adjo meaning 'treasure' in Egyptian and implying the Cofagrigus' love of snacking on gold. Senet's name is based off of an ancient Egytian board game that involved blocking one's opponent from reaching the other side known as the 'Game of Passing'. The game's popularity became so much that the physical game itself became a talisman symbolizing the journey of the dead and has been found buried in tombs belonging to significant Pharaohs of the past like Rashepe's.**

**Want to get a little more closer to the cast? Visit them on formspring. me/TeamKerfuffle (no spaces) ask questions, roleplay with the characters and annoy the living daylights out of Sethikhamun!**


	24. Chapter 24

The Battle Subway was a noisy place to say the least, in and out every day the trains screeched to a halt in their repective platforms as weary Trainers and weary Pokemon exited from the battle cars that rode all throughout Unova to the one Central Station in Nimbasa City. One train squeaked to a halt as the door opened with a clunk, releasing a stampede of Trainers to either the Pokemon Center or to trade in their Battle Points for prizes which was in fact a clever marketing ploy to persuade trainers to use their subway trains instead of just flying to their locations on the backs of Pokemon. Wulfrum charged out of the train and landed on the tiled platform, jittering impatiently.

"Come on!" He groaned, "We haven't been training here for nothing. Points! Turn them in!"

Kenzie rolled her eyes as she stepped onto the platform bustling with Trainers and Pokemon, a Kangaskhan there, Bisharps and Pawniard, and there was even a Hydriegon that eyed the other Pokemon with a look that either resembled suspicion or hunger. Marcurio and Gaiihl followed her out onto the platform after the impatient Axew, Marcurio has acquired a certain glow about himself the closer he got to evolving. After nearly every battle his fur sparked with a white light yet he was never able to fully evolve, at one point he blamed the proximity of Gaiihl's Everstone for the problem but even when the ghostly prince had volunteered to leave it in the room for a day the Zorua had only a short lightshow to prove his efforts in battle. At this point, Marcurio was so close to evolving that he seemed to glow constantly, it was only a light aura, but when Kenzie and her Pokemon would curl up for the night and turn off the lights the Zorua was illuminated as if he were in sunlight. Other trainers noticed this as well, giving them words of encouragement and congratulations as they made their way to the prize counter to exchange their points.

"So-" Kenzie started, tying the red Focus Sash lightly around Wulfrum's neck, "I think we've trained hard enough this past ten days to deserve a little break. All of us." She looked at her team happily. "If it were possible I'd say we've battled every trainer in and around the city, and we've won every rematch we've challenged against the ones who won the first time around plus your efforts in the subway."

"Go on~" Gaiihl laughed, hovering next to her and patting her back, "Spit it out!"

"Well, tonight after I go tothat Masquerade Ball at the Musical Building I'm setting aside a good portion of our winnings so we can all go to the Amusement Park." She decided, "Of course, that coupled with buying more Pokeballs and Potions means we're flat broke again but we can make it up by battling the trainers in the next city. But after we loosen up and have a little fun in the park, we're going to finally challenge the Gym."

Marcurio's tail wagged slightly at the news, a smirk coming over his snout. "Well it's about time!" He sniffed, "So what are we going to do while you're off at this dancing thing? Because we've already agreed that we're not stepping in there again~"

"Neither hide nor hair." Gaiihl agreed, shoving Kenzie's shoulder lightly to show that they were just poking fun at her.

Kenzie rolled her eyes, of course a bunch of boys wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as she did. "I'm giving you all a little budget to go and explore the city. Though Marc, you're going to have to cast that human illusion over yourself, especially when we know that Plasma is roaming the city."

"And we're going to have to walk with him?" Wulfrum asked.

"For now." She said, "It's not safe being a Trainer's Pokemon when we know that they're kidnapping and stealing them."

Gaiihl sighed inwardly, yet another inconviencence to being turned into a Pokemon. And nonetheless, being chaperoned by the fox, great. It almost reminded him of the days before his own journey thousands of years ago.

The corridors of the Castle were silent as the young prince snuck through the halls, carrying his moccasins in hand so that his bare feet were silent aganst the sandstone floor. He'd taken to getting up earlier and earlier each morning to avoid the routines that the servants would run him through; he could feel his eyes wanting to roll in his skull. Truthfully the servants were only doing their duties, as every citizen at one point in their lives had to serve Unova in some way either as a warrior or in times of peace, a laboror or servant to the royal families to make their lives easier and thus, make their jobs as rulers easier. There hadn't been a war large enough to reach their part of Unova in years, not since his own Ancestors of the Unown Family gifted the ability of writing and reading to the common citizen, and because of this, the servants had gotten restless and decided to get their 'community service' over with as soon as possible, and that meant by serving the royal family and him in _any way possible. _

Sure, there were the traditions that were considered 'normal' among their routines, it was considered and honor to wash the feet of royalty and it was their job to make sure that the castle was cleaned, the food was prepared, the messages were delivered, and to act as silent guardians when out in public. But this was just too much. Nearly every time he was seen he was offered food of some sort, and if even a small bit of drink managed to miss his mouth and, Arceus help him, _drip_ onto his tunic he'd immediately have to go and change so that they could take the garment to be washed while another retrieved a new tunic. His pleasant walks through the city to help the citizens solve their problems whether it be over damaged property or petty feuds had receeded into the past, as the servants insisted on bearing him on the Palanquin instead. It seemed there would be no privacy for him anymore and when he brought up the issue with his father, Zuka, the Pharaoh merely looked upon with amusement that only years of experience had gifted him.

"Be glad." He said, "That they hold thou in such high esteem. We cherish their services, many are not granted the same opportunity."

"But Yama Zuka." He protested, using the middle name and title given to all royalty as respect, "We can no longer do…_anything_ on our own! We can do this ourselves; we don't need to be coddled!"

"Yama Gaiihl…." He replied quietly, stroking the feathers of the noble looking Altaria beside him, "There will be a point in thine life that thou shall feel alone." He said, "It is a guarantee, and thou will wish to have someone at thine side, it is then thou must remember this unwanted help and be thankful for it. Though it may not be needed now, one's caring convictions shall lend thou strength in the future." He explained, "We have experienced this many times, and it is crucial to remember that, what is a wilted flower today was once a gift quite beautiful. It is the memory of the gift that reminds one that they have been cared for. For kindness is eternal. All things good and all things bad in life balance out, a life is never just black, nor is it pure as white. They are all gray."

Of course, Gaiihl had simply stared into his father's face and accepted the lesson without really listening to it and instead musing about the similarity in their faces and imagining that his would look nearly the same as his when he reached his age. So now here he was, desperately trying to sneak through the castle without garnering the wandering eyes of a passing servant.

"Alta?"

Gaiihl froze in his tracks and looked up at the high ceiling above him only to find his father's Altaria perched in a niche high above him and looking down with a curious gaze. He really was a noble bird, larger than most Altaria to the point where it rivaled his father's height, a true king among monsters. His feathers held a beautiful dark blue sheen and coupled with the whisping, curled white down that billowed out around him like a cape he resembled the sky at twilight.

"Tch, shhhh!" Gaiihl pleaded, whispering, "Shush Bakari!"

Bakari looked down at him with a displeasing look and fluffed his feathers, obviously miffed that the prince would talk to him so. Gaiihl rolled his eyes and swept back his hair.

"Look! Sorry, sorry, we didn't mean to speak like that." He whispered quickly, "Just _please_ stay quiet."

The Altaria looked down at Gaiihl with a look of suspicion that he recognized many times from his days as a small child wreaking havoc around the castle. He knew that gaze all too well to know that it was saying 'What are you up to?'

"We are not doing anything wrong!" He added quickly, "Yes, we know it's early, yes, we look suspicious…" He sighed, noting that Bakari's gaze hadn't budged. "At least give us a head start before getting the servants?"

The Altaria nodded and Gaiihl wasted no time booking it through the castle, now no longer concerned with avoiding anyone, and sprinted down the front steps to try and bled in with the early working crowd. He quickly took the ornamental hood from his head and ruffled his hair as he hid in the shadows of the market stalls and made his way to the Summit District where the leaders of the main cities of Unova came to stay during their week long meet every two months to discuss the state of the nation as a whole. Quickly, he snuck behind one of the large houses and looked up to the balcony overhead before picking up a small pebble and tossing it up, hearing it clatter on the stone floor. He waited a moment and the pebble skidded of the balcony and bounced on the ground in front of his feet, taking that as his signal he leapt at the wall and latched himself into familiar footholds as he climbed up and leaned over the balcony.

"We hope that thou aren't busy today~?" He asked, giving a suave grin.

Senet laughed and rolled her eyes, staring at him through the reflection in the mirror where she was braiding her hair back. "Of course not, the ambassador's daughter will always find time to represent her people to the Unown Family."

"Oh drop the professional act~" He said, climbing over the balcony and into her room. "We know that's not how thou speaks."

"Well you drop the royal act." She prompted, "You're in the company of friends."

"We-I." He corrected, "I'll do whatever you say."

"Much better." She handed him a strip of leather to tie her hair back, "So Oh Prince of Unova, what adventure are you whisking me off on this time?"

"Definitely not getting us stranded in the clay quarry like last time." He laughed, letting her hair go and letting the neat braids bounce against her back.

"Aren't you still in trouble for that?" She asked, giving him a mischevious look.

"No."

"Gaiihl…."

"Okay, maybe a little." He grinned, "My father _might_ have threatened to bake the clay onto my hands and feet."

"Stone hands _would_ deter you from trouble." She teased, poking his nose.

"Altaaa~!"

The two young teens whirled around at the cry and found the Pharaoh's Altaria looking smug as it sat on the balcony and suddenly his ears picked up the noise of guards close behind.

"What are we going to do?" Senet asked, crossing her arms and giving him an 'Oh, you're in trouble' sort of look.

"I…I will tell you what we are going to do." He said, waving his arms to shoo the Altaria away and peering over the balcony at the approaching gurds. "I… am going to kidnap you."

"…What?" She half laughed.

"You heard me." He said playfully, grabbing her arm and breaking off in a sprint down the stairs, the both of them laughing loudly. "ADJO! I AM KIDNAPPING YOUR SISTER, WE WILL BE BACK AFTER NIGHTFALL!"

Adjo looked up from a sheet of papyrus that he was reading for his studies, his Tynamo floating beside him. "Alright, be safe." He muttered, distractedly.

Soon the two had bolted out of the house and were dashing through the lavish gardens behind the homes before they came upon a guard asleep by the stables, a Rapidash standing obediently next to him.

"Quick!" Gaiihl pointed, jumping onto the startled monster who reared back in surprise. "Woah! Woah! Down!" He ordered, making the Rapidash look at him, the monster quieting when it recognized him. "Good! Senet! Come on!"

The bright eyed girl climbed up behind him just as a team of three guards rounded the corner on their own mounts.

"Yama Basiri!" One of them shouted, using Gaiihl's last name, "Halt!"

"Sorry!" He yelled back, "No can do!"

And with a sudden burst of speed the Rapidash shot forwards with three other flaming horses following fast behind, Senet having to wrap her arms around his middle to prevent herself from being thrown off as the Rapidash took a turn and galloped through the busy crowd.

"Sorry!" Gaiihl yelled, noticing the startled citizens backing up in surprise or running to get out of the way as he directed the monster to take a mad dash for the exit.

Gaiihl and Senet laughed wildly, their mount leaping through the archway out of the city and the two felt the wind touch their faces, hair blowing back as the white horse threw back its head, reveling in the freedom that the wide desert brought it in comparison of the tight city streets. They hadn't stopped until the dust trail they left in their wake faded far behind them and they spent the day browsing the trading caravans that were pulled up and down the worn roads by Tauros and Bouffalant, their tails smacking at the flies that buzzed around them in the heat of the midday sun. Continuing north, they soon reached the scrubby outskirts of the forest and leapt to lie in the cool grass and look over their plunder before night fell and the sky was lit up with Illumise and Volbeat, large orbs of color that skimmed the treetops and dipped low over the rushin river that ran through the fertile farmland that covered his village.

"Come on." Gaiihl said, stading from their comfy spot in the shade, "Let's get a better look."

He jumped up and grasped a low hanging branch and pulled himself up higher into the tree where a few Aipom chattered at him and jumped out of reach, snickering and looking at the two humans with large orb-like eyes. He reached his hand down to her to grab after she'd removed her sandals and climbed up with him, the two ascending up to the highest branch that would hold them and pointing out the patterns of light that the monsters lit up in the night sky.

"So what do you think?" Kenzie asked, grinning as she turned around in her dress.

At first, she believed that going shopping for her masquerade costume for the dance would be an easy feat, but she was soon proven otherwise as her Pokemon had all gotten into an argument over what Pokemon suited her best. Pikachus were apparently overrated, though she had the bubbly personality of an Azurill the dress didn't quite suit her, she was very artistic but the Smeargal costume was just tackey, and when they finally all agreed that the Mew dress would suit her best they realized that they were all either too big or too small. Wulfrum's suggestion that she should go as an Axew, Yamask, or Zorua like them soon turned into a declaration of war as each argued on why their species costume would be best. In the end she had to try out each one the store had and upon getting a compliment from a passerby while trying out one of them, she decided that it was the winner.

"It looks fabulous." Marcurio grumbled, sticking his tongue out at Gaiihl, the Yamask dress having been chosen.

Kenzie rolled her eyes and looked back to the mirror in the bathroom to make sure everything was in order, somewhat distracted by the noise of Wulfrum having Pokedex entries read aloud to him by the device. Her dress was simple, yet to a stunning effect, the black halter neck dress with a soft looking texture, the fabric fitted to her top while it slowly loosened and billowed out in loose swags that swayed side to side as she walked and emphasized the golden sandals that were showing under the hemline. She clasped a thick, golden, oval shaped pendant around her neck and removed her glasses to put on the red opera-style mask that had a black lace design around the edges.

"What?" Macurio asked, transforming into his human form. "No makeup?"

"Blech, no." She protested. "I hate the stuff."

"Are you gonna be okay without these things?" Wulfrum asked, leaping up and snatching her glasses from the counter, Pokedex in his other hand. "You're wearin' them all the time."

"I'll be fine." Kenzie said, "They just make sure that my vision isn't blurry. I'm not too bad without my glasses; I'll be fine for a night, you guys go out an ejoy yourselves." She said, slinging a tiny red purse over her shoulder. "Just be careful and get back before I do, alright?"

"Yes Ma'am Commander Seargeant Sir Ma'am." Marcurio said, saluting comically as his trainer left the room and started walking towards the Musical hall for the dance. "So what are we waiting for?" Marc asked,"Ttime for a night on the town, causing some trouble~"

"No." Gaiihl said simply, floating out the door with Wulfrum close behind him.

"Pfft." Marcurio scowled, "Yes, _Mom." _He said sarcastically, shoulders hunching as he slumped out of the building. Immediately he stood bolt upright and, had he been in Zorua form, ears twitching. "Wait! Wait!" He hissed, "Do you smell that?"

"We aren't the smelling kind of Pokemon." Gaiihl said, floating towards him. "What is it?"

"That….weird kid." He whispered, grabbing Wulfrum and Gaiihl and pulling them into the shadows as a figure passed by. "N." He said, peering out as the green haired trainer rushed past and muttering to himself. "He's going to the Musical building! I heard him!"

"What?" Gaiihl asked, alarmed, "We can't leave her alone with…with _him!_"

"I know. You two stay here, I'll sneak into the ball and give Kenzie some backup if she needs it." Marcurio said, "He's been a real creep and I don't want her alone with him."

"Hold on!" Gaiihl protested, "I'm coming too!"

"Oh no you aren't." Marcurio said, "He'll recognize you, and I can make illusions around myself. You would be a dead giveaway. I'm not good enough at making them around others _especially _in crowds, Zoroark can do that, but an illusion like the one I'm wearing now is my limit."

"You can both go as one." Wulfrum said, waving around the Pokedex in the air at the two of them.

"…What?" Marcurio asked, taking it from the dragon.

"Look at it." Wulfrum replied simply.

Marcurio looked curiously at the various entries for Yamask, noticing that some of the observations had been written by Kenzie for study and that others were logs that had been approved and uploaded into the system.

"Okay, yeah, know the thing about them being people, blah, blah, mask was their face blah blah- Woah…" He said, surprised as he gave a frightened look to Gaiihl.

"What?" The Yamask asked.

"…Nothing." Marcurio said, holding the Pokedex behind his back. "It was nothing."

Wulfrum waddled up behind him and jumped to press the button to have the entry speak aloud and the transformed Zorua groaned.

_"Yamask have an ability unknown to any other Pokemon." _It said, _"When a Yamask's mask is taken and worn by an individual, human or Pokemon, the Yamask in turn is able to posess and control the body of the Pokemon in question. This gives the Yamask the opportunity to take on a stronger form for protection or to manipulate other people and Pokemon, in most cases Pokemon that have been found wearing the mask of a Yamask have created a symbiotic relationship, the human knowledge known to the Yamask is shared with the host Pokemon who in turn utilizes it in the best strategies for survival."_

Gaiihl gave the Zorua a plain look and took his mask from his tail, waving it at him.

"Nope. Not gonna do it." Marcurio replied, crossing his arms. "Not going to happen."

Meanwhile Kenzie had already arrived at the Music hall and had seated herself at a small table with a small saucer of party food. Really, she had been excited for this, but then she realized why she never liked school dances and such back home. She was always one of those people who would just sit to the side and wander around, feeling awkward with everyone else dancing around her while her feet started hurting in the support-less shoes. She did enjoy looking around though, the colorful costumes (though blurred by her vision) were beautiful, some Pokemon were obviously the inspiration for the garments, but others she had to think about before she figured them out.

"Excuse me, miss." Came a voice, "Would you like to dance?"

Kenzie looked up curiously to find a figure offering a red-gloved hand to her. She raised an unnoticed eyebrow behind her mask and politely took the figure's hand, rather amused by Marcurio's attempt. The costume was a dead giveaway, despite her blurred vision and the 'phantom of the opera'- style mask that hid nearly all of the figure's face it was obvious that he was dressed as a Zoroark. A voluminous bush of red and black hair was tied back with a large blue bead and atop his head sat a top hat with two fake ears sticking out of the brim. The mask was dark and held no other features of a Zoroark except for the red markings that ended at the mouth and were drawn sharply around the eyes. A large, dark gray scarf was wrapped around his neck that swung side to side as she took his hand he walked her out onto the dance floor.

"You look very nice tonight." The stranger complimented, voice muffled and distorted behind the mask. "Tell me, are you going to battle Elesa's gym soon?"

Kenzie smiled, playing along with it. "You know the answer to that."

"Mmmm…" The figure replied, twirling her around a little. "You are very supportive of your ideals. Team Plasma hasn't discouraged you in any way?"

"The opposite actually." She replied, "Because of them, I've had to rethink my decisions as a trainer, and now I know that there's nothing else I'd rather do. I have no doubts about it."

"So you have your friends fight?" He asked, stepping lightly, one hand at her waist and the other holding her hand as they spun around with the other dancers.

"I don't have them fight." She said, "They fight for me, and I fight for them."

"Where did you get that?" He asked, looking down at her arm where the sandile had bitten her in Nacrene, the marks were only fading pinpricks of scars now.

"A Team Plasma member ordered his Sandile to attack me." She explained, "It was all thanks to my brave Zorua that I didn't pass out." She pursed her lips for a moment; she would have sworn that Marcurio would have at least smirked at that. "He got it off of me, and he nearly evolved doing it."

"Pokemon only evolve during times of great trials or stress." The stranger said, "He…must have really…cared for you then. Hmm.."

"What?" Kenzie asked, now confused.

"Nothing, just thinking to myself." He replied, "So Team Plasma…they..they really _are_ ruthless aren't they? The rumors are true?"

"Most of them." Kenzie said, "I don't really disagree with them though."

"You don't?"

"Of course, I'd never want a Pokemon to be mistreated by a bad trainer." She said, "But I don't believe that Pokemon should be taken away from good trainers. I mean, even if the Pokemon were 'freed' who says that they would just go off and 'be free' or whatever? What if they want to stay with their friends even without the influence of a Pokeball?" She questioned. "Team Plasma needs to have their peaceful members speak out against mistreatment of Pokemon, not have their thugs steal Pokemon from kind people. Pokemon do get hurt in battles, but people do too, it's all about challenging yourself to become stronger, if my Yamask, Axew, or Zorua told me that they didn't want to battle anymore? I wouldn't make them."

The figure stayed quiet for a long time before another approached the two and the stranger took the rose from his lapel and tucked it up behind Kenzie's ear before parting and letting the new figure cut in as he disappeared back into the crowd. Kenzie squinted her eyes, trying to focus at the new person who suddenly cut in between them before they widened behind her mask with shock.

"Gaiihl?!"

"Surprise." He replied, grinning.

He was dressed in a neat black suit, golden buttons and cufflinks gleaming in the light of the chandelier as they danced their way into the new song. The scarf she had made for him was wrapped neatly around his shoulders and his hair was as messy as he described it was. The most shocking part though, was his face; it was plated in smooth gold that moved naturally with his expressions like liquid metal. The only noticeable blemish in the otherwise flawless mask was the Unown 'G' that was neatly carved under a solid gold eye.

"What…" She sputtered, speechless, "How…? Wait. Gaiihl!"

"What?" He replied innocently, golden eyelids blinking.

"You possessed someone didn't you?" She asked, noting that his face was in fact the mask that he carried around. "But how do you look like you?"

"I persuaded Marcurio to volunteer." He said, "So we could both sneak in."

"Where's Wulfrum?" Kenzie asked, now concerned for the well being of the dragon.

"At the Pokemon Center happily secured in the room and reading the Pokedex." He assured.

"So, how exactly did you persuade Marcurio to do this?" She asked, "Is something wrong?"

He turned his face to the side like he was examining the crowd. "We saw N enter the building earlier and disappear. We didn't want to leave you without backup."

"He's here in Nimbasa?" She asked, now alert. "He's been following us everywhere. Have you seen him yet?"

"Not yet." He admitted the song ending as he led her back to her table. "Marcurio still has some control here, he's maintining our illusion and keeping his ears open for his voice. He did look rather suspicious though, arriving so late, and he was carrying a large bag as well." He rubbed the back of his neck, "So who was that you were dancing with?"

"You know…" Kenzie said, catching sight of a hint of green hair sneaking around the edge of the room and running out the exit. "I don't really know now."


	25. Chapter 25

Gaiihl floated close to his trainer as the girl and her Pokemon made their way through the crowd that had gathered at the Nimbasa Amusement Park, stuck in the middle of a mass of brightly clothed harlequins and groups of friends that dashed by to get to the nearest rides before the lines got too long. The colors, shapes, and noises of all of the technology and rides around him set the Yamask on edge, even more so than the first time he'd ridden in a car with Kenzie. So many of these feats seemed impossible to him yet somehow they actually _worked_ and he was sure his brain had simply turned to mush from all of the bind-boggling he'd had to endure since waking in this world.

"Gaiihl? Are you doing alright?" Kenzie asked, "You don't look too good."

"I'll b-be fine." He stuttered, wincing from the sound of the loud coaster cars as they rolled to a stop on the tracks.

She gave him a sympathetic look and waved Marcurio and Wulfrum over from a carnival-style game that they were watching. "Come on, let's find someplace a little more quiet and get some snacks." She suggested, "And we'll talk about tactics for Elesa's gym."

Marcurio smirked and led the way to a quieter area over in a large, grassy, shaded area away from the hustle and bustle with only the giant Ferris Wheel in front of them and the Gym to the other side. The three Pokemon gathered around a metallic table as Kenzie took out a portion of her remaining funds and bought food from a nearby vendor, bringing it back over and enjoying the look on Gaiihl's face when he first tasted Lemonade.

"Elesa's gym is probably going to be hard for us to win." She said, tearing off a piece of funnel cake while Wulfrum simply took a large bite out of one that he kept to himself. "Electric type Pokemon are extremely fast and can deal a lot of damage in a short amount of time. Our best bet is to play defensively, I know you can definitely take a good hit thanks to your mask Gaiihl, but you guys are going to need to be sturdy and quick on your feet." She tapped the table for emphasis, "And we don't know any ground type moves, so there won't be any really effective way to take down her Pokemon other than brute force. But then again, they probably won't know any moves of use against us, so we're on a pretty flat playing field. Wulfrum, are you listening?"

Kenzie looked over at the dragon who had leaned over to look past her and she turned her gaze to watch as Bianca came jumping happily out of the Gym building with Elesa in tow. The model was just as beautiful as she was pictured on the magazine covers. She was thin, toned, and the clothes fit her frame perfectly without her having to be too skinny. It was no wonder so many female trainers looked up to her, she was a perfect example of beauty, strength, and determination all in one; her eyes always had a piercing look to them. Kenzie smiled, it looked like Bianca had gone to great lengths to get up earlier than they did in order to defeat the gym. She paused though when in the middle of Bianca and Elesa's unheard conversation a man came up behind Bianca and grabbed her arm. Kenzie flinched; she'd known that Bianca's dad hadn't been happy about her going on her journey, but she didn't understand the extent of it. Bianca had left Nuvema town with her Pokemon without the permission of her father and Kenzie stood in alarm when he attempted to pull her away. Suddenly the entire park seemed to go quiet as a loud smack was heard when Elesa strode up and slapped him across the face.

"Stay here." Kenzie said, starting to jog over to where they were.

It seemed that her help wasn't needed though, because halfway there Bianca's father let go of her as Elesa gave him a good talking to. Chewed out and dejected looking, he backed off and without a final word to his daughter he left. Kenzie gazed on with sympathy for her friend and stepped forward to walk over and comfort her before she felt a solid grip clench her wrist. She yelped in surprise and whirled around to come face to face with no one other than N, looking as uncomfortable as ever and in her personal space like always. He was extremely jumpy in the crowd, going to insane efforts not to brush against anyone.

He gulped and suddenly took off through the crowd with her. "F-Feris wheel! Now!"

"What?!" She yelled, seeing her Pokemon abandon their table in pursuit of her. "Wait WAIT WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"No time!" He yelled, "Ferris wheel!"

With the grace of a Gyrados dancing the worm Kenzie half flopped, half fell into the car as N pushed her in after shoving their way to the front of the line and in barely a moment the top closed and the two of them were being cranked higher and higher into the air. Kenzie scrambled onto her feet and whirled around only to find N sitting in his seat comfortably and lightly kicking his feet back and forth with an innocent smile on his face as he looked out the window.

"Wow, this is fun." He said sincerely,

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

N was startled so badly by the sudden screech that he jumped high enough to almost bash his head against the top of the car. He shrunk back from Kenzie who was obviously not pleased with the turn of events.

"I-I j-just wanted to t-talk with you about something." He blurted, watching her approach with sleeves drawn up. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO DO ANYTHING BAD I SWEAR!"

Kenzie watched him cower with confusion, here he had the strength to pull her all the way across the park with no problem, but now he was here scared of her? She rubbed her temples and fell into the seat opposite him.

"Then why couldn't you just come up and talk to me like a normal person?!" She asked, frustration evident in her voice. "Each time you've come to talk to me we end up in some surprise battle!"

"That's why I had to get you on here!" He insisted, "So that wouldn't happen! I _don't like _battling!"

"Then why not just have a normal conversation?!"

"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW!" He shouted, standing and making the capsule sway. "I-I don't know how…okay?" He said quietly, taking off his hat and running his hands through his own hair. "I haven't b-been around many people… You can't imagine what it's like! Everything I remember from when I was little was Pokemon! I lived with them out there." He said, "I was abandoned far away from here … they fed me, took care of me… and then one day a man shows up and tells me that he's my father! People…people they…make me nervous."

"So that's why." Kenzie said quietly, feeling ashamed of herself. "That's why you don't like battling."

"And how I can talk to Pokemon." He said, avoiding her eye contact. "You though, you're the only other person I've met like me and at the same time, you're my complete opposite! I grew up with Ghetsis showing me Pokemon who have been mistreated and used by people, but you're one of those people and your Pokemon are okay with it! I just don't get it, it goes against….EVERYTHING."

"Ghetsis is your father…." Kenzie whispered, suddenly putting it all together, having been absent the night that Gaiihl discovered Sethikhamun conversing with the trainer near the start of their journey.

"Yes." N admitted, putting his hat back on his head, "And I am the King of Team Plasma."

Kenzie stared at him with shock. "….You were the one dressed as the Zoroark at the dance!"

"I wanted to speak with you without you being biased." He explained.

"But…why aren't you doing something?" She accused, "Why don't you do something about those…those thieves that you're in charge of?!"

"They're not thieves!" He defended, "They're doing what is best for the Pokemon! I thought you were my friend! I thought you'd understand!"

"I hardly even know you!" She shouted, standing as the car came back to the ground, "But I'd be your friend if you'd open your eyes and stop being so naieve! Team Plasma is full of bad people and Ghetsis is one of them! Do you know that his Cofagrigus, Sethikhamun _killed _my friend Gaiihl back when they were alive! He's got a _murderer_ working with him!"

"LIES!" N roared, storming out of the car and looking up with shock to find two Plasma members waiting for him. "What are you doing here?! I said I wanted to do this alone!"

"W-we thought you might need some help my Lord…"

"You!" Kenzie shouted, "You were the ones back in Sitraton that were hurting that Munna! You've got a lot of nerve to show your faces again!"

Kenzie struggled as N picked her up around her waist and held her back. "Go! Quickly! I'll hold her off while you escape!"

The two Team Plasma members turned tail and ran, shoving their way through the crowd that continued to grow as the day went on. Soon her Pokemon were at her side, having been circling the Ferris wheel when she'd been taken onboard against her will, and she struggled free of his grip. Without missing a beat he drew a Pokeball from his belt and launched it into the air, a Sandile shooting from the orb and landing onto the ground with a menacing growl. Without even having to wait for an order, Gaiihl charged an energyball and hurled the mass of energy at the ground type. The Sandile flinched and stood its ground but was unable to even land a single hit when the next Energyball burst against its hide and resulted in a knockout. N flinched visibly, mouth agape at the Yamask.

"I..I don't get it!" He said in stunned disbelief. "I don't get it! Humans make Pokemon flawed! Pokemon can never be perfect as long as humans are involved in their lives, but…_how_, how do you keep getting stronger?!"

"If you keep battling then maybe we'll tell you." Gaiihl said with a finality, red eyes gleaming.

N scowled and took up his sandile before throwing out another Pokemon, the yellow lizard-like creature that stood before them clenched his fists and set his jaw, bracing himself for the battle. The Scraggy shot forwards, trying to get in close to combat with the Yamask, yet Gaiihl wouldn't allow it. He dodged Faint Attacks with the use of his mask and hurled blue flames at the Pokemon that didn't seem to be able to slow down. In one well aimed hit Gaiihl was sent sprawling onto the ground and was quickly set upon by the now guaze wrapped Scraggy thanks to his ability. His eyes widened as the Pokemon approached and stood over him and he braced for the worst, he winced and attempted to hold his mask up above him as the Scraggy made the final move…only for it to be a Headbutt. The normal type move passed through him without harm, though the same couldn't be said for the Scraggy whose head passed right through and bashed into the ground. Wobbling, it stood and stumbled from side to side with a dazed look on its face as Gaiihl quickly retreated and Wulfrum ran out to give the final blow with his tusks.

N was only growing angrier as the battle progressed and he sent his Darumaka onto the field, the round red Pokemon hoding itself in a low stance and ready for any moves that were sent to it. Wulfrum crouched on all fours, scratching at the ground with his front paw like a Tauros ready to charge. Then the orders were issued and the Axew let out a bust of blue flames that the Darumaka jumped through to land a powerful Fire Punch right onto the Axew's snout. Wulfrum took advantage of their close quarters and slashed out with his tusks, the Darumaka proving to be a tough opponent due to his small stature. He easily ducked under the attempted blows and Headbutted the dragon right under his jaw. Wulfrum was sent tumbling to his back and managed to roll over out of the way of another Fire Punch, giving him the opportunity to slam into the fire type with both a Dual Chop and a Slash. The Darumaka weakly retreated back to N, and without a word he picked it up and held it protectively to his chest as he pondered his last Pokeball, a sad look on his face as he let the Pokemon inside out to battle.

Marcurio jumped out onto the field, allowing Wulfrum time to get back to Kenzie and heal as he faced down the Sigilyph floating in front of him. Gaiihl's expression hardened somewhat, it was the same kind of Pokemon that he and Kenzie first battled against and it was also the Pokemon that Sethikhamun had someone created and trained as security for the castle. The Sigilyph's eyes glowed and suddenly a wind swept up through the park and it raised its wings in order to catch the quickening Tailwind. Marcurio's eyes darkened as he leapt forward and let loose a Snarl, the dark energy arcing out and smashing against the psychic Pokemon. The Sigilyph didn't stand a chance against the dark-type Zorua, each move dealing massive damage and breaking right through its defenses and soon it was on the ground in front of N's feet.

"Are you happy now?" He asked, a disappointed look on his face. "There, you've harmed my friends, now answer me!"

Gaiihl floated to the boy and crossed his arms, "Humans don't make Pokemon flawed. Wild Pokemon choose to better themselves by relying on only themselves, others better themselves by relying on humans, who rely on them in turn." He explained, "Humans bring out the best in their Pokemon." He glanced back at Kenzie. "I know mine has."

N looked at the Pokeballs in his hands, staring deeply into the dark red and white spheres before sighing and walking past them.

"You're wrong."

And then he was gone, disappeared into the crowd.

After a quick trip to the Pokemon Center to make sure that her Pokemon were still ship-shape, giving them some time to take the recent sour battle off of their minds as they returned to the amusement park. Soon enough, the doorway to the Gym loomed over them all, the sound of techno music blaring from inside the dark room.

"Are you sure that she's still here?" Gaiihl asked, tentatively floating inside.

"She's got to be, the Gym hours say it's still open." Kenzie noted, stepping inside.

She gave the floor a curious look as the tile she stepped on suddenly lit up, and then the one next to it, and the one next to that one until a series of square tiles lit up the entire room in front of them at an alarming rate. The ceiling was so high that even the lights from the color couldn't illuminate the darkened room where a rumbling noise had started up all around. Then, like a curling neon snake a large series of rails lit up, curving and swirling through the dark room, the bright glow cutting through the darkness. With a loud wooshing noise the roller coaster's car came to a halt in front of them and the glass lid hissed open.

"…I'm not getting on that." Gaiihl said, crossing his arms.

"There is no way that I'm missing out on evolving because you're being a 'fraidy-cat." Marcurio said, biting his scarf and trying to drag him along.

"Come on." Kenzie said, jumping in, "Before you change your mind, come on! Don't think about it!"

Wulfrum, without even a second thought, scrambled into the car after her with Marcurio following behind and leaping in. Gaiihl stopped, vaguely contemplating not getting on at all before his body moved not entirely of its own consent and he jumped in right before the lid closed above them with a click. He gulped, clinging tightly to the bar that secured them in their seats. Marcurio smirked and bumped into him.

"Hey, calm down." He said, "You've already died _once. _You've got nothing to worry about now."

Gaiihl scowled at the fox and the car lurched forwards, startling both him and Kenzie who immediately clung to each other as it slowly trudged up the rails and high into the dark ceiling above.

"Never mind!" Kenzie cried, "I should have thought about this!"

"Sweet Arceus, let me off of this thing!"

"We can't! It's already going!"

Wulfrum and Marcurio rolled their eyes while sitting in the back seat. _Humans_, can't live with them, can't live without them. Meanwhile their frightened hysterics stopped suddenly as the car paused at the very top of the large hill, the tiled room looking incredibly small below them. They sat there for nearly a minute, the car teetering on the edge.

"….Is it broken?" Gaiihl asked, looking over the side.

"I don't know." Kenzie said leaning forwards to look down, "I sure hope not, I don't want to be stuck up heeEEEEEERRRRREEEEEE!" Kenzie shrieked as the sudden change in weight sent the car hurtling down the track almost straight towards the ground before it zoomed back up the neon hills.

The roller coaster car jerked this way and that as they took high arcing turns and sent them spiraling through corkscrews and just when they thought the ride was almost over the ride would take them hurtling down another hill and up through a series of seemingly impossible loops. The bright neon lights flashed behind their eyes when they blinked, creating whorls of color that lit up the darkness that they flew through in frenzy. There was one more plummet and a long straight track ahead of them as the cart put on the breaks and pulled them all to a stop and the lid hissed open to let Kenzie and Gaiihl scramble out and fall to the floor in relief, the both of them tempted to kiss the tiles in gratitude. Marcurio and Wulfrum soon jumped out behind them, looking ruffled and full of excitement from the ride, but nowhere near the state that their two companions were in.

Wulfrum turned around, brow furrowing. "There's nothing here." He said, walking on all fours out into a large space of lit purple tiles, "Where's the Gym Leader?"

Kenzie pushed herself up and looked around, now noticing the lack of Elesa's prescence as she got to her feet. "I don't get it, she should be here." She said, wandering towards the light of a glowing screen that was mounted to the far wall.

"That'd better not be an 'Out for lunch' note." Marc grumbled, following his small group that gathered around it.

"It's a game." Kenzie said, stepping up to the monitor and looking to the tiles at her feet, "You know, like Dance, Dance Revolution."

"That's not what it says though." Gaiihl said, pointing it out. "To battle Gym Leader, insert credits. What are credits?"

"Quarters, basically." Kenzie said, somewhat confused as she took out three quarters and dropped them into the slot on the wall.

The game console in the wall let out a ding and the techno music that resounded throughout the building grew louder.

"Please select your song!" The console requested, a long list becoming avalible for selection on the screen as a small, chibi version of Elesa danced to the music behind the words.

Kenzie touched her finger to the screen and scrolled up and down, not quite sure what was going to happen. Just as she was about to choose a song though, Marcurio jumped up and slapped his paw against the screen. At Kenzie's annoyed look the Shiny Zorua, glowing faintly in the dark, just smirked.

"What? You were taking too long." He said, scratching his ear with a hind leg. "Besides, this is my song."

Kenzie glanced at his selection on the screen and rolled her eyes. "Of course it is."

The techno music slowly faded and morphed into another song, the beat bouncing as the room started to rumble and the wall before them split open right down the center and a burst of color lit up before them. Marcurio set an illusion over himself, appearing as a human as he strutted up the large set of stairs that led them to tower over the ground, tail swishing in time with the music.

"Welcome challengers!" Elesa greeted, standing up from the chair that she had seated herself in far across the room. "I am Elesa!" She spun and threw off her coat, drawing a Pokeball from her belt and striking a pose, the cables in her hair swaying. "And you are~?"

"Kenzie!" The trainer replied, "And these are my partners! Gaiihl, Marcurio, and Wulfrum!"

"Well met!" She said, walking up to her place on the end of the arena.

Above each side was a humongous jumbo-tron, a montage of colorful Japanese style videogame scenes flying across it that reminded her of the dancing game she'd mentioned earlier. In fact, the entire arena seemed to have a similar theme. It was longer than it was wide, resembling both a catwalk and a disco-floor with tiles that lit up a variety of colors with different directions of arrows on them, the lights flashing on and off interchangeably.

"Now, before the song really starts-" Elesa explained, "Let me tell you a little about my Gym! I might be a model, but that's a job, not a hobby! My true passions belong to Pokemon and Videogames and hereI've melded the two! The screens above us will display different arrows and if your Pokemon step on the correct tile, you'll gain points. Here the challenge is to defeat me and my Pokemon, but, if you've got the ability, to try and beat my high score as well!" She gave a picture-perfect smile, a glint in her piercing eyes. "Are you ready to begin?"

"You know it!" Kenzie confirmed.

"Then if you will, press start!"

Kenzie looked down at the floor and pressed her foot against the large red button in front of her and the beginning of the song started again and Marcurio strode out onto the flashing arena, the Quick Claw bouncing against his chest as the lyrics dropped.

Elesa threw her Pokeball onto the field and in a burst of red light a small, white and yellow Pokemon leapt onto the arena. The Emolga's cheeks sparked with electricity as different commands began lighting up on the large televisions above either side. Marc had already let his illusion fade and he hopped from tile to tile in time with the music, dancing around and letting his fluffy coat sway with his movements right before he charged in for an attack, eyes darkening as he let our a Snarl. The Emolga was thrown back, having been charging electricity for a Volt Switch before being swept up by the dark pulses of energy. The Emolga quickly recovered by spreading his limbs out, taking to the air before divebombing the Zorua who braced himself and hissed as the Aireal Ace chopped against his side. He turned around and, jumping on more of the tiles, spat fire at the Emolga.

"Alright Wattson! That's enough!" Elesa called out over the song in the background, "Use Volt Switch!"

Marcurio nearly jumped out of his fur, the shock that ran through his body was intense, it was as if he suddenly had too much energy and then not quite enough as the attack weakened him. He shook his head, fur standing on end as he ran off in Pursuit of the Pokemon who was just about to jump into his Pokeball. Marc slammed into the Emolga's side, causing massive damage as it crash-landed in the red laser that pulled it back inside.

Marcurio puffed out his chest in victory as he was suddenly engulfed in a bright white light that pulsated around him and faded. He scowled as he looked at his paw, only to find, however, that the light hadn't faded quite yet and he was glowing even brighter than before. A smirk came across the Zorua's muzzle as he bounced from tile to tile, scoring 'Perfect!'s and 'Great Job!'s on the screen above Elesa.

"Come on." He taunted, "That was hardly a challenge."

"You're asking for it." Elesa said, pressing her lips to the Emola's Pokeball before drawing out another and throwing it onto the field. "Let's go Joule!"

Marcurio nearly had to hold in a laugh as another Emolga joined him on the arena, a female this time. His laugh was cut short, however, as the Emolga came in for a Quick Attack, the blow stinging against his side as fire shot from his maw in long, flaming streams. Joule once again came arcing down again, through the flames in Pursuit, the dark-type move, however, didn't leave much of an impression of the Zorua who Snarled and caused the Emolga to be tossed around I nthe air before falling to the floor where he charged in his own Pursuit, knocking her completely out of the arena.

"Out of bounds." Elesa nodded, Joule shaking herself off and flying to the Gym Leader's side. "That's another knockout. And you have two more Pokemon left to fight. Impressive, I can tell that you've all been training hard, but let's just see how you handle _this_. Let's go, Hertz!"

Marcurio rolled his eyes, what next? Another flying spark plug? He nearly laughed, this Gym challenge wasn't much of a challenge at all. He shook his fur nonchalantly as the flash of red from the Pokeball lit up the area in front of him.

He immediately regretted thinking that this was going to be easy.

Marcurio's ears went back and his tail lowered seeing the Zebstrika towering above him. The electric Pokemon's muscles rippled under its jagged striped coat and just being near the aura of electricity that it gave off made his fur stand on end. Hertz snorted and glared down at the Zorua, scraping his hoof against the floor before his body became engulfed in flames and he ran at Marcurio. The shiny Pokemon barely had any time to jump out of the way of the Zebstrika's Flame Charge and he could feel his coat singe from the heat.

"Don't panic!" Kenzie shouted, "You can do this! Come back if you need to!"

Marcurio glanced over at his trainer, and in that split second he felt his paws leave the ground and he was flung through the air to the opposite side of the arena, ignoring the taunts that came from the screen upon sliding across all of the wrong tiles, his breath leaving him when he hit the floor. He stumbled to his paws and his eyes darkened as he barked out a Snarl but was shocked when the Zebstrika charged right through it and stomped his hooves, creating a reverberating wave of sparks that zapped the small fox. Marcurio struggled to move from the Spark, only to find that he had been rooted to the spot. The feeling faded only moments later when he was once again send tumbling over the arena, his sides ached and he was breathing heavily as small jolts of electricity arced off of his fur. Clenching his teeth he struggled back to his feet, taking a defensive posture as his eyes darkened again.

Kenzie brought out his Pokeball and attempted to call the Zorua back and was surprised when he dodged the laser.

"No!" He protested, glaring back at her. "I-I'm going to…urgh…" He shook the dizziness from his head, "T-this is my fight."

"Don't push yourself." Kenzie said worriedly, "Gaiihl and Wulfrum are still here, you don't have to just rely on yourself."

He glared down the arena at Hertz, who had cantered around to face him. "I know I don't. That's the point."

And in a mad dash the two Pokemon met in the center of the arena, the Zebstrika covered in flames and the Zorua's eyes crackling with dark energy as they collided. The resulting barrage of energy rocked the arena in a small explosion, the smoke engulfing the center of the arena. The two trainers cried out in shock and in the middle of the cloud of smoke a bright light could be seen growing, a pure white flash of illumination that broke through the smoke and flung it in a wide ring to all sides of the stadium. The Zebstrika was caught in the glowing form's grip as the light continued to grow larger, morphing and changing in shape and in a dazzling display the bright luminance burst out and away from the form.

The Zebstrika cried out as it suddenly found itself overpowered, a set of powerful claws gripped tightly around its horns as Marcurio, exactly the same height as him, gace a devilish grin, revealing a large maw of tiny sharpened teeth. No longer a tiny Zorua, Marcurio was barely strained in wrestling his opponent, his powerful hind legs were rooted to the ground, long claws leaving light scratches in the flashing floor as his large forearms held the Zebstrika in place. What before had been barely a tuft of fur on his head had grown into a mane even larger than he was, a bright blue-purple that stood out against his dark gray fur. Marc's yellow slitted eyes gleamed as he cried out and lifted the Zebstrika from the ground in a massive show of strength and tossed him to the ground. Marcurio's eyes gleamed and a dark cloud of energy grew up around Hertz as he pushed himself to his hooves before it burst in a loud snap of black lighting. Hertz wobbled and knelt to his knees before falling to his side and Marcurio straightened, shoulders back and mane flowing as he looked down at himself, flexing his clawed hands.

He'd evolved.

**And for those of you who would enjoy reading this with Marcurio's song choice blaring in the background, look up LMFAO's "Sexy and I know it".**


	26. Chapter 26

"Alright, alright, we get it." Gaiihl sighed, hand pressed against his cheek as the bright ashes from the fire lifted high up into the black velvet sky. "This is the- how many times has it been now?"

"Twelve." Wulfrum yawned, laying on his back in the crisp grass, pulling out clawfuls and dropping them into a small pile.

"The _twelfth _time you've been showing us." The Yamask rolled his orb-like eyes. "Please be giving it a rest."

"Oh come _on_~" Marcurio groaned, "Just one more time! Just once!"

The three Pokemon turned their gazes towards Kenzie as if seeking her approval. After their successful Gym battle earlier that day the group had decided to camp on the outskirts of Lostlorn forest, mostly to get away from the hustle and bustle of the larger cities which were rather amazing, but didn't quite have the same feeling of home that being surrounded by nature gave her. Kenzie looked up from the pan that she was tending over the fire, busy preparing a dish that Gaiihl had insisted she cook as it had been one of his favorites while he still lived in Relic Castle.

"Fine, just one more time." She conceded, tossing the rice in the pan and listening to the popping noise of the fire.

"Okay, last time, I promise." The Zoroark swore, holding a clawed hand in the air with one on his heart. "But honestly! Did you _see_ me out there?!"

"Yes." They answered in monotonous unison.

"I was amazing!" He cried, leaping up and swinging up onto a branch, perching himself there. "Of course, nearly everything I do is amazing~" A smirk grew up over his snout and he polished his claws against his fur coat. "But just the look on that Zebstrika's face, it was hilarious!"

"We know." They all said again.

Marcurio grinned and his coat shone bright blue as he jumped down and cast an illusion over himself, turning into an exact copy of Elesa's Zebstrika and stumbling around with a comedic look on his face before falling over to his side, hooves in the air.

"Are you finished?" Gaiih yawned, using his mask to prod the fire, waving it around when the metal got too hot.

"I'm done." Marcurio snickered, letting his illusion fade and rolling over onto his stomach, folding his hand-like paws underneath his head. "So remind me again why we're out camping in the middle of nowhere? No one goes into Lostlorn forest, there's a reason it's called that you know."

"Because we need to find a new member to add to the team." Kenzie pointed out, "I've done some research and Clay has three Pokemon, and out of you three, there are only two super effective type moves you have to counter them with." She said, "And from what I hear, his Pokemon are as tough as nails and he's got a personality just about as soft as sandpaper. Any extra help we can get, we need."

"Oh please." Marcurio yawned, "We don't need anyone else, you've got _me_~"

Gaiihl rolled his eyes, "Just because you've evolved doesn't mean you're the strongest of the group." The Yamask crossed his arms, "I've been with Kenzie the longest, and I've got much more experiences battling than you do."

"Now that's a lie." Marcurio growled, "You've got no idea what it even means to be a Pokemon yet, I've been doing it since the day I was hatched. Battling, training, and all on my own mind you. Besides, I have you beaten; you've got a type disadvantage." The Zoroark gave a sharp grin, yellow irises glowing in the darkness.

"I've got enough of an idea!" Gaiihl retorted, "You're just stuck with one mindset! I know what it's like to be a trainer too!"

"And look just how well that went for you." Marc snapped, hackles rising slightly.

"Marc!" Kenzie scolded, shooting the Zoroark a glare for such a low blow.

"What? It's true." He said nastily, "He wasn't good enough to stay a human and he keeps trying to act like one, face it Gaiihl. You might have the battling part down, but you won't ever understand what it's like to push your way out of an egg and have a whole world to explore." His eyes narrowed, "Every Pokemon's true goal is to evolve, and we either do that by learning to depend on ourselves or by depending on others and a Trainer in battle. You're not a human, and you're not a Pokemon. You're stuck in between, you're too afraid of Change, just like any human but you're stuck as a monster."

Kenzie scowled, ready to chew out the egotistical fox before Gaiihl flung his mask at him, the Zoroark yelped as the heavy metal bounced off of his paws and sent him leaping up in pain.

"SILENCE!" Gaiihl shouted in an ancient tongue, "IF YOU WISH US TO LEAVE, SO BE IT. THERE, THAT IS THE LAST OF WHAT WE HAVE OF BEING HUMAN, TAKE IT AND BE DONE WITH YOU."

And with a stunned silence the Yamask angrily pushed his way through the brush and into the forest, his dark form blending into the shadows and disappearing from sight.

"Gaiihl!" Kenzie yelled, "Gaiihl, come back! Please!"

There was no response other than the crackling of the flames as Wulfrum threw a small rock at the Zoroark who looked upon the Axew with annoyance. Wulfrum crossed his arms, giving the Zoroark a critisicing glare as Marcurio yawned and laid back down, fur rustling with leftover anger.

"That was uncalled for." Kenzie scolded, bringing out his Pokeball. "And he was right; you've been really full of yourself lately since you started evolving, and more than usual. He might have said some things too, but you took it too far."

Marcurio averted his eyes, somewhat shamed now, yet still holding his ground. "Fine, I need some time alone anyway. Put me in the cursed ball."

Kenzie clicked the button on the Pokeball and drew the shiny Zoroark inside, setting the red and white orb in the soft grass where it wobbled as if it were agitated. Carefully, the trainer took the food from the fire and set it aside as she walked over to Wulfrum who had gingerly picked the mask up from the dirt.

"He needs to come back soon." The Axew said, staring deep into the face of the mask. "'Cause I feel like something bad's gonna happen."

"That dumb fox." Gaiihl grumbled, pushing his way through the forest, wide eyes seeing well in the darkness between the trunks. "He needs to tie his snout shut. Nothing good sounds out of there anyway."

"What are you so mad about Namask?"

Gaiihl froze, eyes shifting from side to side as he searched for the speaker. But…why exactly was he searching? The voice…it had spoken in his mind.

"Namask?" He asked, confused, "I am a Yamask."

"No, you are Namask." The voice stated, echoing around his mind, "You have no mask; you are 'Na'mask. If you had one, you would be 'Ya'mask." The voice giggled.

"Aha. Yes, I see." Gaiihl answered, turning around and peering through the darkness, "It is a joke, a play on words. Kenzie taught me of this. Where are you?"

"Everywhere."

"Is this a kind of riddle?" Gaiihl asked, looking up into the canopy.

"Oh, I enjoy riddles." The voice echoed, "Let's say this. You play a riddle game with me, and if you win I will help you get back to your camp."

"I don't need your help to get back to camp." Gaiihl scoffed, crossing his arms and turning around. "I am…not….lost….."

"You have a 15% chance of getting back to camp on your own." He (for the voice sounded male) said. "Do you know why this is called Lostlorn Forest? People and Pokemon become lost because deep within a pack of Zoroark live, they warp your vision with their illusions if you travel too close to their home. Not many are smart enough to see through them like I do."

"Alright then." Gaiihl said, a hint of fear rising in him. "So if I want to find my way back, I have to play your game? I can do that."

The fading orange coals sparked and smoldered in the bed of pale ashes as Kenzie gently prodded them with a small branch. The trainer lifted her head at every noise that emanated from the forest, hoping to find Gaiihl's bright red eyes staring back at her, and each time when her hopes went unanswered her heart seemed to beat a little faster as worry ate away at her mind. Wulfrum sat down next to her, holding the mask protectively as he joined her in staring at the coals.

"It's getting late." He said, raising his head and looking up at the moon through the thinning canopy, the trees nearly bare with leaves. "Maybe he got lost?"

Kenzie shivered as the Pokeball in the grass beside her wiggled from side to side, growing in size before the seal was overridden and it popped open in a bright flash of red light.

"What?" Marcurio asked, shaking out his mane before standing up on his hind legs. "You mean our resident 'prince' isn't back yet?"

"No, not since he left." Kenzie sighed, pulling her coat closer to herself.

Marcurio snorted and pawed at his snout before pacing around the campsite, peering into the forest with a knowing look.

"There are heavy illusions all over the place in there." He said, "No wonder he hasn't come back yet, he's lost."

The Zoroark made his way over to Wulfrum and took the mask in his mouth and before the Trainer and dragon could protest, disappeared into the forest with the end of his mane whipping out behind him.

"…Well then…" Kenzie said, huddling closer to Wulfrum. "…You know how you only start to think of scary things at the most inconvenient times?"

"Yeah." Wulfrum answered, scooting closer. "Are you doing that now?"

"Yup."

"Me too."

"A murderer is condemned to death and he must choose a room to pass through, the first is full of raging fire. The second contains a dozen skilled assassins. The third holds lions that haven't eaten in three years. Which room would be the safest for him to pass through?"

"Another easy one." The Yamask responded, yawning. "The room with the lions. They haven't eaten in three years, they would be dead."

"Good, good!" He praised, "Now, just two more. I want you to name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday."

The ghost thought deeply for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

"You are quite good at this." The voice echoed in his mind, "I may find it suitable to converse with your trainer."

"My…my what?" The Yamask asked, confused.

He felt a pit sinking in his stomach, what was he doing here? An odd feeling washed over him that was both a mix of dread and the uncomfortable feeling that he'd forgotten something very important.

"And that brings me to my next riddle. What is a Yamask without his mask? What is a man without a past? What is a spirit who never had a life?"

"…Nothing." The Yamask whispered.

"Correct once again." He said,"As I promised, I will assist you in finding your way back. Simply wait here."

The Yamask whirled around as he felt…something leave his mind. "Hello?!" He shouted, "Hello?!"

Nothing answered within the darkness of Lostlorn forest besides the rustling of dead leaves upon the ground. The ghost felt restless, but the voice told him that he'd get back by staying there, but get back to where exactly? His tail curled and uncurled restlessly, and for some reason he felt as if something should be resting in its grip. He was startled out of his thoughts when the sharp snap of a twig breaking reached him and he turned quickly, only to find himself staring into a pair of frightening yellow eyes staring at him from the blackness. He cried out and bumped back against the tree as the Zoroark emerged and nudged his shoulder with his snout, dropping a golden shape on the ground in front of him.

The Yamask stared at the golden oval that gazed up at him and felt something in him click as he frantically took it into his hands and wrapped his tail around it. Gaiihl took a deep breath as his memories rushed back to him, but just as great as his relief was his feeling of annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" He scoffed, furrowing his brow.

"Coming to find your sorry tail, you've been missing for about three hours." Marcurio grumbled, "Kenzie hasn't even gotten ready for bed yet. She won't sleep until you get back."

"Three hours?!" Gaiihl exclaimed, "I've only been gone for a few minutes!"

"You Yamask get all weird when you don't have your masks around, in case you haven't noticed yout mind starts getting…strange. Like forgetting how much time has passed." Marcurio said, "Most of the time your kind just gets angry."

"Well I'm still angry even with it." Gaiihl huffed, pulling his scarf tighter around himself to stave off the chill and following after the Zoroark as he led him through the woods, seeing through the illusions.

Marc was silent as his claws pressed into the soft ground that was threatening to frost over in the cold, the ghostly prince floating behind silently. Soon the remains of the campfire, now only bright coals, could be seen as a small shining light a few yards ahead of them. Marcurio sighed and stopped, moonbeams piercing the darkness as lone shafts of light that shone off of the Zoroark's blue-purple fur, giving him the appearance of being half-shadow.

"I regret what I said before." He admitted, though his face still held a hint of anger.

"I can't tell if you mean that." Gaiihl said, "Did Kenzie guilt you into apologizing?"

"No, she didn't." He grumbled, "It's because I lied. I might enjoy pranks and illusions, but I don't tell lies and I don't go back on my word."

"You…lied?" Gaiihl asked, "Lied about what?"

Marcurio mumbled under his breath, "I lied about being stronger than you, alright?"

Gaiihl gave the Zoroark a strange look, "You're joking. Look at you! You're five times my size, and nearly as tall as I was when I was alive!"

"How tall I am doesn't matter." Marcurio said, "Tell me, exactly how hard do you fight to win our battles? Do you hold back?"

"Of course I hold back." Gaiihl replied, "I mean, I might have lost it at Burgh's gym, but I'm never fighting at full strength. Everone holds back, they're just friendly battles, right?"

"And that's the thing." Marcurio decided, "I _don't _hold back, the Pokemon we fight _don't hold back_. You haven't been a Pokemon long enough to start sensing how much power your opponent is using and has left, but we are all fighting our hardest and then there's you. This little Yamask who's floating around and winning battles left and right and you're _holding back_, and even when you're beaten? You're not even trying your hardest!" Marcurio paced around, leaves crunching beneath his weight as he sighed, "And I'm still strained to even match your level of strength even though I've finally evolved."

Gaiihl was shocked by this revelation, no wonder Marcurio had been insufferable with his recent victory at the Gym, he was proud that he'd been able to win on his own without having to rely on the ghost to bail him out.

"So I'm sorry." Marcurio said, "I suppose I was just jealous that strength just comes to you that easily. It looks like you're flaunting it when you're holding back even though I know you're not. And I know I shouldn't be jealous and I should be glad that you're on our team to help." The Zoroark shook his head, "But I can't help it."

Gaiihl stared at his mask for a moment before sighing and setting it back on his tail. "You're forgiven." He said, "And it's normal to have envy. I…often find myself envious of you." He admitted, "Your illusions, you can become anything, even human with a snap of your fingers and, and I can't."

Marcurio was quiet for a moment before he offered a paw. "So we're even then?"

Gaiihl shook his head and smirked, shaking his paw with his own hand. "We're even." He said, "Though we shouldn't be warring with each other. The real one we should be worrying about is Wulfrum." He laughed.

Marcurio allowed himself a small smile, "You know, you might be right. That little dragon is turning out to be a terror on the battlefield." He said, "Once he evolves he might be getting all of the battle time."

"Come on," Gaiihl said, feeling somewhat better now, "Let's get back so Kenzie can get some sleep."

However, they found that once back at camp Kenzie and Wulfrum were both sleeping soundly, huddled next to the remains of the fire with a blanket wrapped around the both of them. Marcurio shook his head and nosed himself under the trainer, pulling her onto his back to carry her into the tent. Soon, Trainer and Pokemon were curled up inside, staving off the cold chill while, unbeknownst to them a pair of thoughtful black eyes peered down from the treetops.


	27. Chapter 27

The gentle trickling of the cold brook echoed over the smooth stones, the water flowing over top of them and giving them a glassy sheen that glinted in the early morning light and struck the dark trunks of the trees around them with wavering reflections. Kenzie huddled back in Marcurio's mane, the Zoroark curled around her to help her keep warm as Wulfrum walked around the sides of the stream. The dragon peered over and cast shadows into the flowing water and scaring the fish towards the fishing line that dipped into the water from the makeshift pole that the Yamask had instructed her on making. Gaiihl floated beside her, watching the bobber intently as he shrugged his shoulders to bury his face in the soft scarf.

"Oh!" Kenzie whispered, watching the bobber dip under for a moment.

"Not yet-" Gaiihl whispered, "-wait a moment…see if it happens again."

There was a gleeful tension in the air as the Trainer and Pokemon were still and silent, gazes focused on the red and white bobber that floated on the surface of the stream. Marcurio's ears pricked and the shape disappeared under the wavering glass.

"Quick! Quick!" Gaiihl prompted, "Reel it in!"

Kenzie tugged on the fishing pole and Gaiihl went to work on pulling the line in, soon the stream roiled as their catch was pulled to the surface and Wulfrum groaned.

"Hey, HEY!" The Basculin shouted, flopping on the line, "What's the big idea?!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Kenzie apologized, quickly taking the green fish Pokemon in hand and carefully working the hook out of his mouth.

"Ouch! Watch it!"

Marcurio snorted, "Don't talk back to her; you're the one that bit our line. Didn't your mother ever tell you to not put strange things in your mouth?"

"Well stop putting food on them." The Basculin grumbled, spitting out the hook once Kenzie had gotten it loose. "Warn a Pokemon next time."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Kenzie asked, pulling a potion from her bag and spraying the hook wound.

"How am I supposed to know?! Throw in a message in a bottle or something, I have no idea." The Basculin wiggled violently and jumped from her hands, flopping back towards the stream. "So long and thanks for the grub!"

With a splash the Basculin was gone and Wulfrum grumbled, jumping from rock to rock to cross back over to the rest of his team.

"Dumb fish." He grumbled, stomping over to Kenzie for he'd hoped for a nice big breakfast that morning.

Suddenly Wulfrum found himself doused with water as the Basculin poked his head back up over the surface of the water and launched an icy spray from his mouth. Wulfrum chomped the air angrily and spat a stream of dragon fire at the Basculin who quickly retreated back to the depths of the stream. The small dragon felt as if he was going to shiver out of his scales as his teeth started to chatter.

"D-d-dumb fuh-fish-sh."

Gaiihl grabbed the Pokeball from Kenzie's belt and handed it to the Trainer who quickly drew the Axew into it. Kenzie carefully tok the Pokeball and placed it in her bag along with the Nest and Ultra balls to keep it warm. She sighed and baited the line again, tossing it back into the stream.

"If that Basculin comes back there will be no mercy for it." Gaiihl grumbled, "Especially after it took so long for us to find those worms."

"More like grubs really." Kenzie mused, attempting to lodge the pole into a fork in a nearby tree. "Worms live in the ground, grubs like living in rotting stumps."

"Bah." Gaiihl responded, waving his hand as he focused on the bobber. "Worms are worms… Do you want me to hold that for you?"

Kenzie paused in her efforts and glanced back at him, almost wondering if a Pokemon his size could even lift the fishing rod. Gaiihl seemed to sense her thoughts and he rolled his eyes, floating up by her side.

"Come on, trust me." He prompted, "I know I can do this."

Kenzie sighed and gave him a smile, holding out the rod. "If you say so. "

Gaiihl held out his hands, motioning for her to hand it over. Though it was safe to say he was rather experienced when it came to fishing when he was alive, for it was one of the many ways to obtain food for himself and his Haxorus, he was momentarily surprised by the weight of the makeshift pole. The Yamask nearly fumbled with the stick in hand and was strained to heft it over his shoulder, giving Kenzie an embarrassed smile as he struggled to float back over by the water's edge. Carefully, the ghostly prince settled into the high grass and pulled his scarf tight around him, listening to the gentle trickling of the stream as his hands tightened on the rough bark of the pole and held it aloft. His Trainer couldn't help but to smile as she cast a glance over to Marcurio, the Zoroark looking on with approval.

Kenzie yawned and sat back down to lean against the kitsune-like Pokemon and the contents of her backpack rustled as she pulled out her sketchbook. She breathed in gratefully, the smell of paper and the rough sound of the shifting pages always seemed to comfort her. Taking a piece of charcoal from her bag she began quietly rendering the scene before her, attempting to free the moment from time's ever reaching grasp. Marcurio meanwhile, rested his head on his paws as his yellow eyes took in the clouds that crowded the sky and reflected in the waters below.

"Now this is the life." He mumbled happily, "All we'd need now is some of your music, eh?"

Kenzie became puzzled for a moment as she wondered what music she had shown to the dark furred creature before she realized that the Zoroark hadn't been addressing her. She looked up from her drawing, large eyes carefully staring at the small Yamask's back expectantly. Gaiihl sighed quietly and rolled his blackened shoulders. The blue eyed girl could swear she felt a sensation surrounding them from that one simple action, it was both content and saddening at the same time, she could tell he was thinking of home.

"Yes…well…" He started, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Find me a lute somewhere and then you'll have it."

Marcurio gave a low rumble of a chuckle and sniffed lazily at a patch of frozen moss before resting his cheek against it. The girl gently reached over and scratched behind his large ears and gave a silent giggle at the reaction, Marcurio having stretched out and mumbled something similar to a purr. Suddenly his head shot up and his ears perked at the sound of a splash as Gaiihl began to struggle with the fishing rod. Setting her worn sketchbook aside, Kenzie scrambled over and took hold of the fishing pole as well. She held fast to the large stick, finding it challenging to pull in, the line was taught and the branch in hand creaked and bent slightly from the strain. Finally, whatever creature was on the end of the line fought no more and was forced out of the water, landing with a wet flop onto the bank. This time, however, it was Gaiihl's turn to groan.

"A Magikarp?! Really?" He asked to no one in particular.

"I swear to Arceus-" The Magikarp started angrily, "- when I evolve, I shall kill ye all. HAVE AT YE."

The Magikarp flopped violently against Kenzie's shoe, the orange fish Pokemon not having even the tiniest effect whatsoever.

"Um… O-ouch?" Kenzie half asked, feeling a strange sense of pity for the angry albeit weak fish Pokemon.

"DARE YE NOT MOCK ME!" Magikarp cried, continuing his relentless flopping, "I need not your feigned agony! I shall inflict upon ye the sting of a thousand blades!"

Marcurio, curious from all of the shouting, lumbered to his feet and sauntered over on all fours. Leaning down his head he gave the orange Pokemon a sniff and sat back on his haunches.

"The poor thing is delusional." The Zoroark decided plainly.

"KNAVE!" It shouted, wiggling weakly on it's side to face the fox, "You shall be the first to taste my burning wrath!"

"That sounds like a medical problem." Marcurio yawned, sparing a glance at Kenzie and Gaiihl who were still somewhat flabberghasted by the angry fish. "I know he's a Pokemon, but I say we eat him and spare any poor fisherman from catching him."

"Marcurio!" Kenzie gasped, rolling her eyes, "We are not going to eat him."

"NARY A BEAST SHALL DEVOUR ME!" The Magikarp started again, continuing his rant, "MY HIDE SHALL WITHSTAND EVEN THE SHARPEST OF BLADES AND THE FIERCEST OF BLAZES!"

"He looks too scrawny anyway." The Zoroark replied, "Alright, I think we've exhausted the streams enough for today. Toss him back and we'll go back to camp."

Kenzie frowned and picked up the struggling fish. "I don't know, he's kind of cute. Hey Magikarp, we're forming a team for Pokemon battles. Want to join?"

"CUTE? WHELP, I AM A FIERCE WARRIOR OF THE OCEAN! A SON OF POSIEDON! I AM FAR ABOVE YOUR PETTY BATTLES WENCH!"

"Did…did he just call you a wench?" Gaiihl asked, giving the fish a strange look.

"I think so." She said, carefully taking the hook from the Pokemon's mouth, "I'll… just take that as a no then. See you later Mr. Fish."

And, rather un-graciously, she tossed the Pokemon back into the water where he immediately resurfaced.

"AHA! BRACE YOURSELF HOMELY CHILD, FOR YOU HAVE MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF YOUR TRAGICALLY SHORT LIFE!" The Magikarp bellowed, taking a deep breath it immediately began splashing around in the water, the spray not even reaching to the bank.

The group stared blankly at the Magikarp that splashed violently, letting out bellows of victory and manniacle laughter. Silently, the three slowly backed away from the stream and began gathering up their things, despite the raging fish in the background.

"Come on guys, let's go." Kenzie said, tossing a Supply Ball in the air and getting on the bike that came out, "I think that's enough for today, we've got a couple of good sized catches and we can eat the rest of the leftovers from last night."

Marcurio nodded and smacked the lid onto the bucket that had been sitting beside them, closing the four normal fish inside. He took the handle in his mouth and ran off to follow her as she pedaled off with Gaiihl clinging to her shoulder. The Zoroark took the lead, letting the girl pedal after him, leaving browing leaves flying up in their wake as he sniffed his way back to their camp and through any illusionary tricks that the other Zoroark of the forest had set up.

"It's probably a good idea we didn't eat him anyway. He would have probably just given us some sort of sickness." The Zoroark pointed out, coming to a stop in camp. "Hey Kenzie…" Marcurio asked, setting the bucket down as he reached the camp and casting an illusion over himself, turning into his preffered human form. "Did you pack up camp before we left?"

"What? No, why?" She braked to a stop as she entered the clearing and leaned the bike against a nearby tree.

"Because everything is packed up." He replied, walking over and kneeling down to check on the tent that had been safely rolled and stowed away in its bag. "Everything's here too, nothing's been stolen."

"I believed that it would be appropriate to assist."

Gaiihl's eyes widened and he looked around, and it seemed that everyone else had heard the voice too, the same voice that had echoed around in his mind the night before. Even Wulfrum heard it, clawing his way out of Kenzie's bag after heaving jumped from his Pokeball. Gaiihl looked to Kenzie, as did the other two, trusting her to provide them with a correct course of action. However, the psychic just grinned and walked around the fire pit, coals still warm and smoking.

"If I could ask you to help a little bit more…" She prompted, "Could you gather us a bit of firewood so I can make breakfast? You're welcome to join us."

Wulfrum gave her a curious look that was suddenly interrupted as he was forced to duck out of the way of a mass of flying twigs and firewood that seemed to float from the forest of their own accord. Gaiihl squinted his eyes, a curious feeling surrounding him that seemed to permeate the air, soon though; a pinkish aura came into focus. It surrounded the many bits of wood that emerged from the forest and to drop themselves into the circle of stones before arranging themselves into an appropriate shape and bursting into a warm, roaring fire.

"If you are assured that I wouldn't be burdensome, then I would be delighted in dining with you."

Across and on the other end of camp a patch of air seemed to shimmer as a form moved between the trunks of the trees before it floated into the center of camp. Floating there was one of the strangest Pokemon that Gaiihl had ever seen, yet he wasn't unfamiliar with it; it resembled a floating green translucent ball and inside was a small white body that looked like two white orbs that were partially smushed together. He seemed to smile at them with his diamond shaped mouth, amusement evident in his little black eyes.

"Kenzie, doesn't your Mother have one of those Pokemon?" Gaiihl asked, "Or something like it?"

"Yeah!" She returned the Solosis' smile, "Mom has a Reuniclus, and she helps her with her job since she's a biology teacher. Solosis and its evolutions are known as the 'cell' Pokemon."

"Cell Pokemon?" Gaiihl asked, floating up to it. "You don't look like a cell at all."

The Solosis snickered and circled the Yamask, "You are correct, and you are wrong. I do not resemble a prison cell, but I am a cell Pokemon."

"I'll explain later Gaiihl," Kenzie promised, "It's a part of more modern sciences that your people didn't have."

The Solosis nodded, "I am quite relieved to see that you made it back to your temporary residence unhindered." He told Gaiihl, voice sounding almost like a Theramin, "Of course, I knew you would."

"Do you know this little goo ball?" Marcurio asked, giving the Solosis a strange look as he set a pan on the fire and tossed in a few strips of fish that he'd prepared while the others were occupied.

"We have been previously acquainted, yes." Solosis replied, "I arrived here in hope that we may become more acquainted, actually. There are precious few intellectuals in this area that are not of my own species and I was intrigued byhis level of logic and reasoning."

"So you just came by to talk?" Wulfrum asked, quirking a brow ridge.

"Preciscely." Solosis replied, "I deduced that one intellectual is bound to be in the company of others, and thus I have arrived here."

"And I'm sure that it had absolutely nothing to do with a free meal." Marcurio said sarcastically, flipping the sizzling fish in the pan.

"It wouldn't deter me, no." Solosis replied with a small look of amusement.

"You had to have another reason to come here than just to visit Gaiihl." The Zoroark prompted suspiciously.

"You have a keen eye, illusionist, and a keen wit." Solosis complimented, "Yes, I come not only for my own gain. No, no, no, I wish to join you for one does not grow stronger through practicing strength alone but also cognitive abilities." He levitated around the campsite, "I find it difficult to exert my intelligence when few educated minds pass through Lostlorn forest, thus the only logical course of action to improve would be to change my tactics and initiate a different course of action."

"So, basically you want to join our team?" Kenzie asked, growing excited. She couldn't wait to tell her mother that she'd gotten one of the same Pokemon as she had.

"If you all prove to be as resourceful as the Yamask has, then I will accept any offer to compete with you." The Solosis assured.

"Well… it's not entirely my own decision to make." Kenzie said, adjusting her hat and turning to her other Pokemon. "What do you think guys?"

Marcurio sniffed disapprovingly, loading the fish onto the plates that he drew from their bag. "Seems a little shady to me."

"Well…" Gaiihl said thoughtfully, furrowing his brow. "He did help me find my way back."

"He helped you find your way back? As if!" Marcurio barked, transforming back into his true form, "I'm the one who sniffed you out and brought you back!"

"Yes, but Solosis told me that you would come to find me if I stayed in place." He pointed out, tail swishing. "So as far as I'm concerned…he's on our side." He turned his head, "Wulfrum?"

The Axew sat down and started to munch on the fillet that was prepared for him, chewing slowly and thinking hard. "Well… He did help you. And he packed up camp and helped us make a fire in no time." He said, "And we take a long time to do that. It would help us f we were faster each morning."

"So it's decided then?" Kenzie asked, "Three to one."

Marcurio stuck his tongue out at Kenzie and sat down, psychic type Pokemon tended to annoy him rather often. While his Dark Type moves were super-effective against them, it didn't help that they were constantly showing off their 'heightened' intelligence and trying to correct any mistake they came across. Drawing a brand new Nest Ball from her bag, Kenzie held it out to the Solosis who regarded it with a faint sense of curiosity before it activated the button on the front with its psycich powers.

"And by the way." It said, becoming enshrouded in the red light, "You may have the pleasure of calling me Axon."


	28. Chapter 28

_Hey everyone! Wow, it's been quite a while since I've updated. Sorry with that! Senior year of highschool really knows how to tie someone up. This week I've got AP testing, testing, and more testing, and later this month I'm selling my art at a local My Little Pony convention! So stay with me folks, the Pharaoh's story isn't over yet and there's plenty more to come! Thanks for sticking with me for so long!_

The Liepard bared its fangs, a low growl emanating from its furred chest. Ears back, head held low, and icy eyes glaring it faced down the Solosis hovering above the road across from him. The green orb-like Pokemon floated back and forth, swaying slightly to the sound of guitar music emanating from the group of musicians that played nearby. Route 5 was a rather short road when compared to the rest of the areas that Kenzie and her team had traveled on, but some would say that it was livelier than Nimbasa City itself. Pokemon battles were a common sight and the smells of delicious foods wafted through the air from a bright red mobile home, mixing with the souds of melodies from the street performers and dancers at the forests edge.

"Alright, Sebastian!" Cheren ordered, "Fake out!"

"Quick! Use Incinerate!" Kenzie countered hurriedly.

Cheren's Liepard darted forwards, and clapped his large paws together on either side of the Solosis. The Pokemon looked dazed as a bright blue light surrounded it, revealing that the Solosis was in fact Marcurio in disguise. The large fox-like Pokemon clamped his paws on his ears in an attempt to relieve himself from the ringing sensation that rendered him temporarily deaf. He shook the ringing from his ears only to find himself flat on his back as Sebastian lunged at him with sharpened claws and raked them down the Zoroark's hide twice in quick sucession. Growling, Marcurio jumped to his feet and got down on all fours, charging headlong at the Liepard to clear the distance as he spat out a stream of flames.

"Come on Marc!" Kenzie cheered, doing her best to encourage the Zoroark after the bad start.

Marcurio jumped back with nimble paws, barely dodging the Liepard's strikes as it swiped with its claws. His yellow eyes sparked with blackness and he let out a loud, grating Snarl that reverberated into the Sebastian with rings of dark energy. Sebastian hunkered down and planted his paws into the road, taking the hit as the force of the attack caused him to slide back. Undeterred by the Zoroark's power the purple furred cat sprung in a Pursuit and smashed into Marcurio's side, sending the fox-like Pokemon sprawling onto his volumous mane. Now with his enemy defenseless, Sebastian wasted no time in felling long scratching blows on the Pokemon. Marcurio sucked in a deep breath and spat out strings of flame, causing Sebastian to cry out in a panicked retreat. Siezing this opportunity, Marcurio rolled to his feet and bounded after the Liepard, returning the Pursuit it had dealt him earlier. Tripping over his own paws in response to the energy, Sebastian fell to his side and quickly righted himself, panting hard.

"Marcurio, now! Use Night Daze!" Kenzie ordered, sensing an opening.

With a wicked smirk, the Zoroark charged forwards as his claws turned black and crackled with a dark lighning that raced over his body. He scraped his talons against the ground, arcs of black electricity bouncing out before he launched himself into a leap and came down, smashing his paws into the ground and generating a massive shockwave that raced in an erratic pattern across the concrete before honing right in on Sebastian. The Liepard had little time to react as the attack surrounded him and created a deep shadow beneath him and, standing in the dark circle, became subject to a massive shock of dark energy. Sebastian stumbled and swayed on his feet, desperately trying to keep his balance.

"Sebastian, that's enough!" Cheren said, "Come on back!"

With a grateful yet weak purr the Liepard folded his paws up underneath him and sat on his haunches as Cheren dug out his Pokeball and drew Sebastian inside. Marcurio sucked in a much needed breath, taking a moment to rest down on his knee before Cheren sent out his next Pokemon.

Kenzie and the rest of her team had expecting a rather peaceful ride on her bike to the next town, that is, until they found that the entire route had been cut off. The Driftveil Bridge had been lifted since early that morning, even before Axon had joined their group. Upon asking the trainers nearby, they revealed that no one quite knew why it had been up so long as the morning cargo shipments had already passed under long ago. Upon trying the phone inside the control booth, the team also found that no one was answering on the other side either. Just as Kenzie was tempted to take the long route through White Forest and up to Opelucid instead, Cheren had shown up with his new gym badge, evolved Pokemon, and an urge to battle to see who was still yet stronger.

"You're looking a little winded there." Kenzie said with some concern, "You want to switch out?"

For a moment Marcurio looked as if he'd say no, but the tussle with Cheren's Liepard had been more trouble than expected. After having defeated Elesa's Zebstrika singlehandedly he had garnered the thought that a friendly battle with Cheren would be a walk in the park. However, he hadn't taken into account the fact that Sebstian too had helped to defeat Elesa's Pokemon and thus the two dark types were easily matched in skill. Standing on all fours, the Zoroark sauntered over to her, his usually pristine mane knotted with strands that had pulled out of the bright yellow bead holding it together. He sat silently next to his trainer, leaning slightly into her hand that gently rubbed the bottom of his furry snout in praise.

"Alright, on three, ready?" Cheren called, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt.

Kenzie nodded and gave him a thumbs-up as her hand drifted over the ones on her belt, taking an orb in hand. On three, the two trainers launched their Pokeballs to the ground between them with a sharp crack. The Dusk Ball burst open in a spray of shadows and Gaiihl smirked, the tails of his scarf whipping around him from the breeze that flew up from the large river coursing by. The Yamask quickly brought up a hand to shield his eyes as the bright burst of red from the Pokeball in front of him revealed a bright blue monkey-like Pokemon with long curling fur. The Panpour did a small backflip and hopped in place, waiting for his Trainer's command as he made faces at the Yamask, a strange tear-shaped amulet bouncing against his chest. Gaiihl tensed his hands, ready to charge an Energy Ball to start the round.

"Hudson! Scald!" Cheren ordered, throwing out his hand.

The Panpour leapt up into the air and before Gaiihl could manage to react, Hudson leapt into the air and puffed out his cheeks, collecting a torrent of steaming water that he unleashed upon the ghost, the amulet at his neck glowing as he did so. Gaiihl attempted to block the attack with his mask which he quickly dropped, finding it had become incredibly hot upon taking the stream of boiling water. The spray was not all blocked by the mask however and Gaiihl set his jaw against the searing heat where the water splashed against his skin. He quickly scooped up the golden face, still warm from the attack, and charged an Energy Ball which he promptly sent crashing towards Hudson. Hudson let out a shocked cry and attempted another scald with the intention of blocking his opponet's attack. However, the Energy Ball shot right through the stream of water and exploded against the Panpour in a display of green and golden lights.

"Hudson, switch out!" Cheren commanded, drawing the Panpour back into the Pokeball and grabbing another from his belt.

Gaiihl couldn't help but to scowl as Smugly appeared from a flash of light. The now Servine had attained an air of self importance and confidence that he hadn't quite possessed before.

"Gaiihl." He said in simple greeting, his short arms crossed behind his back as he held his nose high in the air.

"Smugly." Gaiihl answered plainly, blue flames flickering to life in his palms.

"I must apologize for my rash behavior as of our previous matches." He said, humble look turning into a sneer. "And also for the defeat you will soon face."

In an instant, vines emerged from the Servine's back and with a loud popping noise somewhat akin to a gunshot the tips of the vines shot forward a set of small, blurred shapes that buried themselves in the concrete with a loud 'snap'! Gaiihl gave a quick, curious glance at the dark holes that were left in the tarmac but wasted no time with them as he sent the Will-o-Wisp flying towards Smugly. The Servine deflty dropped to his belly, causing the attack to fly above him and right towards Cheren who barely avoided the flames as he turned to the side, jacket singed.

"Yamas!" Gaiihl called, hoping he'd know enough to translate that to 'Sorry'!

Suddenly a dull crackling sound lit up the area and Gaiihl was suddenly bound by a set of thin, leafy plants that whipped from the holes in the concrete and wrapped around his form. Gaiihl struggled against the plants, finding their tough stringy stalks impossible to snap in that moment. The leaves suddenly flashed a bright white that reflected in the Yamask's large eyes and he felt a small portion of his energy drain away from him as he became even more tired. In turn, the leaves on Smugly's tail and back mimicked the bright light and Gaiihl sent another Will-o-Wisp his way as the Leech Seed attempted to drain away more of his energy.

This time, however, the Will-o-Wisp was a direct hit and burst off of the Servine's light green hide in a flurry of sparks. Smugly hissed and smacked his shrinking hand to the burn that appeared although he was soon soothed by the energy he continued to leech from the ghost. Growing weaker by the moment, Gaiihl took a dark, shadowy tendril in his hand and whipped the Hex towards the burned Servine who deftly smacked it away with a Vine Whip.

"Gaiihl! Come on back!" Kenzie called, bringing up his Dusk Ball.

Glad to be out of the line of fire, yet also disappointed that he couldn't teach Smugly a lesson, Gaiihl surrendered to the embrace of the Pokeball as Kenzie threw another onto the field.

"Alright Axon, show us your stuff!"

The Solosis glanced back at the Trainer before observing the Servine with a calculating stare, quickly formulating a stratey with the speed that only a psychic Pokemon would be able to. Smugly narrowed his eyes and glared at this new opponent, widening his stance as he waited for it to make the first move. Without a second to spare the battle began and soon became a flurry of blows from each side. Axon's eyes glowed brightly as a screen of light surrounded his form just in time for a Vine Whip to lash across his side. The Solosis shut his eyes tightly from the attack, but it soon became apparent that the Light Screen had added effects other than just show. As soon as the Vine Whip landed, there was a stir in the air as the glow around Axon flashed brightly. Without warning, the air rippled around the Solosis and Smugly was sent to his knees as the rippling energy appeared around his own head.

"Smugly!" Cheren cried out in shock, "What was that? Come on, get up! Use Leaf Storm!"

"Psyshock." Axon explained simply, glancing back at Kenzie before floating closer to his opponent.

Smugly pushed himself back to his stubby little feet and glared at the Solosis as it continued its approach. Smugly's eyes gleamed a bright green as the leaves on his back and tail burst into a bright, white light that soon began to split into multiple, tiny orbs of floating lights that whirled around him in an increasingly rapid pace. The glowing orbs began to warp as they submitted to the harsh wind that began to grow around him, the light fading and trailin off in a bright trail of green sparks, revealing large glossy leaves that whipped in a maelstrom of energy.

"Axon, get out of here!" Kenzie shouted.

However, Axon only continued to float closer to the Servine and, much to Kenzie's horror, right into the Leaf Tornado. The Light Screen flared brightly each time one of the leaves ripped past the Solosis and hit the psychic type with blunted blows that clashed against his viscous form.

"Axon! What are you-?!" Kenzie cried but was soon interrupted by Gaiihl who emerged from his Pokeball and curled his tail around her shoulder. Despite his apparent weakness from his clash with Smugly, the Yamask held a certain intensity in his gaze not unlike a cat ready to pounce on its prey.

"-Wait." The Yamask said shortly. "Watch…"

In fact, the reincarnated Prince had little idea of what was about to happen, yet the intense psychic energy that resounded from the Solosis had stired something inside him even within the confines of the black and green ball that was clasped to Kenzie's belt. He supposed that it was some sort of instinctual urging that his body knew that he didn't; consciously at least. His dark gray hands tightened on his Trainer's shoulder, ignoring Kenzie's hair that whipped around as a result of the sudden gusts of wind let off by the Servine's attack.

"But-"

"_Wait._" Gaiihl hissed, holding up his hand to her mouth to quiet her. "Be trusting me, trust _him_… he knows what he is doing."

Kenzie gave the Ghost a wide eyed glance, taken aback by his sudden intensity in regards to the battle at hand. Upon hearing a sharp snap of one of the many leaves smacking against Axon's form, Kenzie turned her attentions back to the fight just in time to see a glowing pink light form around the Solosis' eyes. Axon gave only a slight movement and in a split second the battle was ended, in a sudden furor Smugly smacked his small hands against his head in an attempt to stave off the assault of psychic energy that ravaged through his skull. With a quiet groan the Servine fell to the ground with a dull thump, the many leaves from the Leaf Tornado crumbling to a dense green dust that blew away with the wind before even touching the asphalt. It had only taken a single move, but the Solosis' Psyshock had been strengthened by the Light Screen he'd cast around himself at the start of the battle. True, the many attacks had weakened him, but only physically.

Cheren gave a choked noise of disbelief as Smugly sprawled onto the road, out cold from the crushing force that had engulfed his mind. With a glance towards Axon that plainly revealed how he'd underestimated this opponent, Cheren fumbled with the Pokeball in his hand and pressed in the button on the front with a clear click to draw the Servine inside. Upon Kenzie's shoulder Gaiihl relaxed slightly, the tension in the air having broken like a pebble thrown into a calm body of water. The tingle of increasing psychic energy in the air had put the Yamask on edge and the ghostly Prince could still feel the waves of pressure emanating from the spherical Pokemon in front of them.

"Alright…" Cheren said, taking the last Pokeball from his belt. All Kenzie had now were three severely weakened Pokemon and one, Wulfrum, who she hadn't even sent out yet. There was still a chance, even if it was a slim one, that his team would be able to scratch up a win. "Come on out Spruce!" He shouted, tossing the red and white orb into the air.

There was a sharp, piercing cry as the Tranquill took to the air with a flurry of feathers, hovering high over the road to survey the situation of the battle.

"Quick Attack!" Cheren ordered, wanting to knock Axon out of the battle as quickly as possible.

Spruce gave out a caw of understanding and tucked his wings close into his body before falling into a dive. Whipping his wings out at the last second, the bird Pokemon caught his momentum, sending him speeding towards the Solosis. Axon was sent bouncing against the ground as Spruce smacked his wings into the Pokemon, leaving him struggling to hover back to his normal height as the Tranquill suddenly squawked in pain- another vitctim to Axon's Psyshock. The Solosis struggled to make up for the painful hit, sending a Psybeam shooting through the air only to have it miss completely as the bird Pokemon Detected the move moments before Axon used it.

Taking advantage of Axon's missed opportunity, Spruce let out a triumphant cry and the edges of his wings glowed with a fierce white and sky blue light. With two powerful flaps the glowing lights burst from the edges of his wings and, trailed by a firce gust of wind, the Air Cutter closed the space between them and sent the Solosis hurtling through the air and clear across the road to land in the tall grasses on the other side. The air was still for a few moments before the tiny green form struggled to hover towards Kenzie.  
"Chances of my own success are minimal." He whimpered, "Retreat is a necessary factor to consider."

With that the Solosis couldn't bring himself to hover anymore, slowly drifting to the ground like a deflated balloon as he struggled to close the distance between himself and his trainer. However, his efforts weren't needed as Kenzie soon closed the gap and gingerly took him into her arms. With a few words of comfort and a spray of Potion, the young psychic quickly drew the Pokemon into his Pokeball and placed it safely on her belt. Meanwhile, Spruce took the time to do a few victory laps, spinning and twirling in the air with grace as Kenzie took the last ball from her belt. The red and white surface hummed under her fingertips, revealing the power of the creature inside.

"Alright, let's go Wulfrum!" Kenzie cried, tossing the Pokeball high into the air, wheeling in a wide arc before cracking loudly against the ground and bursting open in a bright red light.

Immediately the Axew came charging forward, body still in the midst of materializing, leaving a trail of red light as he raced towards the hovering Tranquill. Spruce gave out a sharp cry and flapped his wings rapidly, gaining height in order to stay out of the Axew's reach. However, this wasn't quite enough to dissuade the small dragon, keeping with his momentum, Wulfrum gave a great leap and opened his maw to spew forth a deluge of bright blue flames that swirled and snapped around the bird Pokemon. In retaliation, Spruce gave a spin and let an Air Cutter burst forth into the sky, dispersing the flames before diving towards Wulfrum in a flurry of a Quick Attack. Wulfrum took the hit, caught momentarily off balance before he planted his feet firmly on the ground and sprinted forth on all fours.

"Now you're in for it!" He cried triumphantly, tusks glowing brightly as he swung his head from side to side, sending the glowing blades of light racing after the swooping Tranquill.

It was only after he was safely back in the air again that Spruce let out a cry of shock and flapped wildly in anger. "My feathers! You snipped my beautiful tail feathers!" He cried, down puffing out in fury, giving him a much larger appearance, "Oh, you're going to regret that!"

Upon hearing this Wulfrum only squeezed his eyes shut and stuck his tongue out at the bird mockingly before taking off in the other direction, Spruce hot on his heels.

"Wulfrum! Turn around and use Sla-"

"No! Use Scary Face and then be using Dragon Claw!" Gaiihl interrupted, calling out before Kenzie could finish her command.

In a split second decision, Wulfrum obeyed the ghost's commands and quickly spun around, his eyes glowing a dark purple. In a split second the Tranquill balked at the sight, taken aback by the Axew's fiercly glowing eyes, he was forced to flap his wings and halt his attack. Taking advantage of Spruce's sudden halt, Wulfrum darted forward, tiny claws glowing fiercly as he lashed out. Spruce squawked in distress as the energy from the Axew's claws lashed against his feathered breast and sent him tumbling backwards in a flurry of feathers.

"Spruce! Get out of there with an Air Cutter and use Roost!" Cheren ordered, watching as the bird Pokemon spread out his wings, causing a gust of wind to race towards the small dragon.

Wulfrum threw his small arm up in front of him in an attempt to block the attack, however, the wind lashed at his scales and blew him backwards onto his back just as the Tranquill perched itself in a tree high above his opponent. Slowly, his form became wreathed in a soft white light as he closed his eyes, the bird lulling itself to sleep in order to activate his healing properties.

"Wulfrum are you alright?" Kenzie called, using a hand to prop Gaiihl up on her shoulder due to the Yamask's leaning forward further and further as the battle commenced.

With a grunt, the Axew pushed himself to his feet, breathing heavily as the Air Cutter had knocked the breath from his lungs. "Yup, I-I'll be okay." He said, setting his gaze on the Tranquill and automatically becoming enfuriated. "HEY YOU!" He cried, trotting up to the base of the tree on all fours. "What do you think you're doing?! You can't just sleep in the middle of our battle! Hey! HEY! I'm talking to you!" He growled, clenching his little fists. "I'll show you!"

Taking a deep breath, Wulfrum gathered a mouthful of bright blue flames and sent them out in a biting stream towards the bird Pokemon roosted in the tree. However, as soon as he released the Dragon Rage it was clear that the Tranquill was no longer at his perch, having left nothing more than a small puff of smoke from a few singed feathers. The Axew whirled around in confusion, searching for his opponent just as he came swooping down from the sky, ramming into the dragon with a Quick Attack and catching him by surprise. Wulfrum wobbled on his feet and attempted to send another spray dragonfire towards the bird, only to miss completely due to his lack of balance. Spruce's Roost had completely restored his vigor, making it easy to outspeed Wulfrum at this point, and that much easier to finish the battle. The Axew stood little chance as Spruce swooped in, wings alight with the energy of the Air Cutter.

Wulfrum's head spun dully as he tried to figure out where he was. The Air Cutter had knocked him for a loop and now there was a harsh pounding in his head. Carefully, the dragon tried to stand only to find himself too weak to even attempt to roll over. He'd been tossed clear back to Kenzie's side of the battlefield and now everything simply ached. With a great amount of effort, the Axew stumbled up on all fours. Despite his defeat, he beamed weakly up at Kenzie and the Yamask.

"I tried my best." He said simply, keeping his voice quiet so that it wouldn't irritate his own aching head. "I did j-just as you said Gaiihl, I did it-!"

With a slight misstep Wulfrum fell to his stomach again, only to find that the ghostly prince had joined his side. Both were fully exhausted from the battle, yet the Yamask held a great smile on his own face.

"Yes, you were being fantastic." He said supportingly, "You were great, Khepesh."

Wulfrum blinked in puzzlement as he turned his gaze back up to the ghost. "Who's Khepesh?"

Gaiihl paused, only now noticing his slip up before averting his gaze from the small dragon. "He…he was being an old friend. No, you were doing very well Wulfrum." He corrected, motioning towards Kenzie. "You are deserving of a rest."

Soon Wulfrum was pulled back into his Pokeball, leaving Marcurio at Kenzie's side and the ghost at her shoulder. The young psychic bit her lip and looked up at Spruce, the Tranquill flying in wide circles above the, and down at her own Pokemon, exhausted as they were, before making her decision.

"I submit this match." She announced, "My team is ready to drop, we need to head to a Center and rest."

Cheren gave a smirk, withdrawing the Tranquill into his own Pokeball. Finally, after so long, he'd finally gotten a chance to defeat one of his best friends and biggest rivals…for now at least.

"Good match." He said, exhaling a sigh of relief and walking forwards to shake her hand. "How about we make a deal. You buy dinner and we won't have to take any prize money."

Kenzie considered this for a moment and shook his hand heartily. "You got it Cheren." She said with a grin, "Your Pokemon could use some rest too. We can check on the bridge tomorrow."


End file.
